


Crystal Souls: Heart of Emerald

by show_me_the_universe



Series: Crystal Souls [1]
Category: Wicked - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Gender Dysphoria, Intersex Character, Mild Sexual Content, Nonbinary Character, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25157737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/show_me_the_universe/pseuds/show_me_the_universe
Summary: Elphaba is a forgotten soul, a disgraced royal, locked away by their tyrannical father for their green skin and magical powers.Glinda is a thief, a former child of a wealthy family who now steals from the rich just to make enough to keep herself alive.Fiyero is a nobleman, who grew up in the comfort of royalty and is deeply loyal to his family's noble legacy, but longs to find a purpose in life.The lives of these three and three others are on an inevitable collision course- all six of them: a thief, a baker, an entertainer, a lost soul, a nobleman, and a witch- must unite and find their inner magic to prevent an evil King from destroying the world.
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Fiyero Tigelaar, Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland, Fiyero Tigelaar/Galinda Upland
Series: Crystal Souls [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822501
Comments: 20
Kudos: 36





	1. Midnight Heist

**Author's Note:**

> hey what's up I started a new project before finishing the one I'm working on what a surprise
> 
> This is a *completely* different vibe than Per Aspera Ad Astra, however. 
> 
> This fic is gonna have magic and fantasy elements, companionship, adventure, homoerotic tension, and all that fun stuff.
> 
> It's also, tentatively, going to be a series, in 3-4 books, so that's exciting
> 
> This fic is rated M just to be safe. There's gonna be a LOT of tension and such in this au, but any graphic sex will be posted in a separate fic because I hate having sex scenes in the middle of actual plot. There will also be references and descriptions of emotional/psychological abuse and gender dysphoria, so for all of the above reasons, I'm keeping the fic at M just to be safe. 
> 
> Idk what else to say in the notes here except I hope you enjoy the fic!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 11/11/2020: Added a map for reference! :)

_Thousands and thousands of years ago, six spirits roamed the universe._

_The spirit of adventure was bright red, like a blazing fire in the endless void._

_The spirit of energy was a deep orange, streaking its way through the darkness._

_The spirit of happiness was a sparkling yellow, almost like a bolt of lightning._

_The spirit of growth was a vibrant green, twisting and turning and tangling through the night like a vine made of light._

_The spirit of loyalty was a serene blue, a trickle of water in an otherwise empty world._

_The spirit of magic was the smallest of the six spirits, a faint purple._

_The spirits enjoyed wandering the universe, but they wanted more than just to explore._

_They wanted to_ _create_ _._

_They wanted to make a world with life and watch it grow._

_So, each spirit brought with them a fragment of a star from their corner of the universe. They all met together, and in a burst of color, the first planet was formed._

_“It’s nice.” Red said, gazing over their creation._

_“It could use something more, though…” Blue noted. “It’s nice and all, but the sky could use a little something extra.”_

_“How about this?” Green conjured up a rock, locking it in the orbit of the new planet. “I call it… Moon.”_

* * *

A silver moon hung in the sky over a quiet little village. The night was nearly silent, save for the chirping of crickets in the underbrush and the pitter-patter of a cat scurrying into an alley.

Glinda loved quiet nights like this. The silence was calming, allowing her to get in a clear state of mind before her heist.

She had her sights set on the mansions in the highlands. Stealing a famous painting would make her enough money to afford shelter and food- _good_ food, not just bread, for at least two months.

The only problem was that security in the richer district of the village was tight, it would be hard enough to sneak in, let alone escape with stolen goods.

Despite the tight security, Glinda was confident that she’d be able to succeed in her mission. She’d been studying maps of the village for days prior, she practically had the alleyways and escape routes memorized by this point.

Breaking in was surprisingly easy. All she had to do was act like she belonged there and maintain a stiff and poised posture like all the rest of the guards patrolling the streets. Within minutes, she had reached her destination, an elegant mansion located in the center of the square.

Making sure no one saw her, Glinda snuck into an alleyway next to the house and carefully pried a pane of glass out from one of the large, ornate windows, climbing inside silently.

Glinda scurried through the shadows, towards her target: an exquisite painting of the first generation of the Vinkan noble family, the oil paint faded from centuries of exposure. This was perhaps one of the most valuable pieces of art in all of Oz, stealing it would put the nobles in their place and put a pretty penny in her pocket.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Glinda’s blood ran cold as she turned to face the guard who had spotted her.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Glinda asked as she carefully removed the large portrait from its place on the wall, “I’m stealing a painting.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Says who?” Glinda leaned the painting against the wall, taking a few steps towards the guard.

“I mean- no one _said_ it but, it’s common sense not to steal, you know? It just isn’t _right_ and _-_ ”

Glinda took a deep breath, blocking out the rambling of the guard, trying to figure out the best way to escape this situation. The guard was a young man, probably in his early twenties, definitely a newer recruit. She could easily charm her way out of this mess.

“Look, hon,” Glinda placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, “I know it’s not _right_ to steal, but it’s how I stay alive. If I don’t steal this painting, I won’t have the money for food. And you wouldn’t want a pretty little lady like me to starve, would you?”

“I mean- You _are_ very beautiful, miss, but it’s still my duty to protect the royal family from any threats-”

“Do you really think _I’m_ a threat?” Glinda laughed with a smile.

“Yes, because you are stealing a piece of history right from under my nose, and I can’t just let that happen.”

“Have you got a name?” Glinda asked as she took her hair out of its ponytail, letting blond waves tumble over her shoulders. This young man was putty in her hands.

“Yes. I’m Boq-”

“That’s an awfully cute name, Biq.”

“Boq."

“Boq.” Glinda repeated, “An adorable name for a handsome young man like you. Have you got a girlfriend, Boq?”

“Not at the moment, miss.”

“Would you like one? I might be willing to stick around for a while if you keep my art heist our little secret.”

“I… I shouldn’t…. but I can’t just turn down an opportunity like this, I’d be more than happy to do that.” Boq was clearly flustered.

“Thanks for being so willing to keep a secret, Boq.” Glinda closed what was left of the distance between her and the guard, kissing him sweetly. 

While he was distracted, she moved her hand to the base of his neck, a pressure point that caused him to crumple to the floor within a few seconds.

She lowered him to the floor carefully, leaning him against a wall to keep him out of harm’s way. She might’ve been a thief, but she wasn’t a _monster_ , she tried to ensure that no one got hurt in the process of her plots.

“Y’know, I’m not entirely sure if that was combat or flirting,” Another voice called from the shadows, “But I have to say, I’m impressed.”

“Who are you?” Glinda asked, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

“I should be asking _you_ that question,” The man stepped into the moonlight, and Glinda was immediately captivated by his looks. He had beautiful, dark skin and gorgeous dark hair to match. His face and arms were decorated with blue diamond tattoos, which could only mean one thing... 

She took a quick glance at the painting of the first generation Vinkan family she intended to steal. The men, women, and children in the painting all had the same pattern of tattoos on them. The man she had encountered wasn’t a guard, but a member of the royal family.

“I’m a thief, obviously.” Glinda replied, “And you’re royalty.”

“Minor royalty,” The man corrected her, “I am Fiyero, eldest son of the Tigelaar family, first in line for the title of Vinkan Archduke.”

“Fancy title,” Glinda commented, “And what’s the female equivalent for that? Archduchess?”

“Why are you asking? Are you offering the same proposition that you offered my guard only a moment ago? A relationship in exchange for me keeping the secret that you’re a thief?”

“If you’re willing to accept such an offer, yes.”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m not looking for any sort of long-term relationship at the moment.”

“Hon, I wasn’t offering anything long-term.” Glinda said with a wink, stepping closer to Fiyero. His blue tattoos almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. This was the first time in ages she’d actually been attracted to the person she was trying to seduce. 

“If you weren’t offering anything long-term, then why did you bring up the idea of you as an Archduchess just a moment ago?” 

Glinda froze, flustered. Fiyero was stubborn- most people she tried to flirt with practically melted by this point.

“Look… you’re a wanted thief, you’ve got yourself a bit of a reputation- I know you’re just flirting with me to try and get your way out of trouble. I know your tricks and they won’t work on me.”

“That’s a shame,” Glinda commented, “I actually found myself quite attracted to you, I was hoping my powers of seduction would work.”

“No amount of seduction would ever be enough to replace the priceless painting you’re attempting to steal.”

“I understand.”

“However- I’d be willing to offer half of what it’s worth in gold and a night or two of shelter in my palace.”

Glinda raised an eyebrow. “So you’re flirting with _me_ now?”

“Maybe I am. Oh, how the tables have turned.”

“Flirting is _my_ schtick, though.”

“Two can play at that game, my dear.” Fiyero winked- why was he so charming? “Anyway, how do you feel about my offer?”

“How much gold are we talking?”

“500 pieces or so.”

That was more gold than she earned in a month, just from one mission- not as much as the painting was worth, but still a decent amount of money, with the added bonus of getting to stay with this _incredibly_ attractive royal. It was too tempting. 

“And when you say you’re offering a night or two of shelter-”

“I think you know _exactly_ what I mean by that. You’re gorgeous, I’m not just going to waste an opportunity like you.” Fiyero took a step closer to Glinda- she was pressed against the wall, there was almost no space between the two of them.

“I accept your offer,” Glinda wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a kiss so electric that it left her dazed for a moment, forgetting what exactly she was supposed to be doing. 

Fiyero was absolutely beautiful, she was glad to be able to spend a night or two with him.

“Have you got a name?” Fiyero whispered against her skin.

“Glinda,” she answered, realizing how awful of an idea it was for her, as a wanted thief, to be giving away her name.

“Glinda…” Fiyero repeated, “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Come with me.”

* * *

“Princess Elphaba?”

Elphaba woke up to a knocking at the door. “What do you want, Nanny?”

“It’s portrait day. Shall Nanny help you get ready?”

“Fine.” Elphaba begrudgingly sat up, blinking the fog of sleep from their eyes to see Nanny entering their room. “And Nanny-”

“Yes, dear?”

“If I’ve asked you once, I’ve asked you a thousand times... Please stop referring to me as a princess.”

“I do apologize, my dear. Nanny’s old brain forgets these things sometimes. And it is quite hard to remember- what with your father and sister referring to you as a princess all the time.”

“Father talks about me?”

“Occasionally.”

“What does he say?”

“Well... he uses a variety of harsh words, I’m afraid.”

“Hmph,” Elphaba grumbled, “I’m not surprised. At least he’s talking about me for once, instead of pretending I don’t even exist.”

“I suppose that is a positive. Now let’s get you dressed, my dear.”

One of the many, many things that Elphaba hated about being royalty was that they were required to have a handmaid, someone to help them dress and study and learn the skills of diplomacy and etiquette- despite the fact that they were hidden away from the world and would likely never need to know diplomacy for any situation.

Elphaba hated the fact that they weren’t allowed to dress themselves. They wanted nothing more than to wear a shirt and pants, to just feel comfortable in their own body for once. But, they had been raised as a girl, so they were doomed to a life of dresses and corsets.

Although, they supposed, had they been raised as a boy, they would have quickly grown sick of suits and pants every day... perhaps it wasn’t the style of clothes they had a problem with, but the rigid expectation to appear the same every single day.

“Elphaba, dear, you really shouldn’t be doing this to yourself.” Nanny gently unwrapped the strip of cloth that Elphaba kept wrapped tightly around their chest at all times, “I understand it makes you more comfortable with your appearance, but what use is that if you’re never around anyone?”

“My body is none of your business.” Elphaba winced as Nanny laced up a constricting, busty corset, “Why do I have to wear the corset today?”

“It’s portrait day, you must present yourself as the princess society sees you as.”

“Okay, but society _doesn’t_ see me as a princess. Society doesn’t see me as _anything_ ; my father’s kept me hidden away from the world since I was born!”

“I know,” Nanny carefully fixed Elphaba’s hair into an elegant braid, “But annual portraits are required for all members of the royal family. Should you ever be introduced and accepted into the world, then we’ll hang your history of portraits in the gallery for all to see.”

“First of all, I highly doubt that I’ll ever be accepted in a world like this. Not when I’m all green and magical and broken. Even if by some miracle I wasn’t hated by everyone, I don’t want people seeing me,” Elphaba caught a glimpse of their reflection in the mirror, glaring at the excessively feminine figure that stood before them, “Not like this.”

* * *

Glinda woke up to sunbeams in her eyes, unsure of where she was.

She sat up, blinking the fog of sleep from her eyes, only to realize that she was stark naked in bed next to Fiyero of the Vinkan royal family. The previous night’s events came back to her in a crashing tidal wave of memories.

Disappointed with herself, she flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

How had she been so tempted by a pretty face? 

Maybe it was a taste of her own medicine- she was trained in combat, but her looks and personality were still her primary weapons of choice. She had been smooth-talking her way out of situations for years, but the tables had turned so suddenly... she hated herself for being so easily swayed by Fiyero’s charm and beauty.

Speaking of Fiyero- she rolled over in bed. Fiyero was still sound asleep, his dark hair ruffled and messy. Now would be the perfect time to leave- she didn’t want to have to admit to being so easily distracted from her mission, and she especially didn’t want to be caught sleeping with royalty.

But… she couldn’t leave yet. Fiyero had promised her money in exchange for not stealing the painting. She _needed_ that money, she couldn’t leave yet.

Fiyero slowly woke up, his dazzling green eyes locking with hers. “Morning, sunshine.”

“Don’t call me sunshine.” Glinda grumbled, feeling the barest hint of a smile creep onto her face. She didn’t want to catch any more feelings for Fiyero, though she figured that was a task much easier said than done.

“What’s got you so grumpy?”

“Nothing… just beginning to regret last night, is all.” Glinda stood up and began to redress in her clothes from the night before.

“Why? Do you wish you’d stolen the painting?” Fiyero sat up, dressing himself as well.

“Kind of. If I had stolen the painting and moved on, things would be so much easier. Now… it’s really hard to want to leave when I’ve got you in my life.”

“You _could_ stay.” Fiyero said, “I could clear your name, you could live in the palace, I could take you as my wife- if you want, of course.”

“I…” Glinda paused, thinking for a moment. Never having to scrounge for scraps and getting to spend every night with the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen… It sounded too good to be true. “I can’t.”

“Why not? If you lived with me, you would never have to worry about money again- you’d always have safety and comfort and food, how can you say no to this?”

“Look, I appreciate your offer, I really do.” Glinda pulled on her jacket, buttoning it up, “But I’m afraid the life of nobility is too stuffy for me.”

“You’re just a thief, how would you know?”

“Long story short, I grew up in a family of nobility. Both my parents died, they left the estate to me, but I didn’t want it. I’ve seen firsthand what wealth and power can do to people. It makes them monsters. That’s why I became a thief. I steal to keep myself alive, but only from those who can afford to replace what was lost. I hope to put the rich in their place, to show them that they’re not as high and mighty as they think they are.”

“I can’t say I understand your decision, but I do respect it. I’ve seen my share of corruption within high society, I respect you for having the strength to leave all the luxury behind.”

“It wasn’t just the corruption that drove me away. I hated doing the same thing every single day. I wanted to get out and see the world. And speaking of that, there’s a world out there that’s calling my name. I should be going.”

“Wait- your payment.” Fiyero rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a small sack of gold.

“Thank you.” Glinda said, tucking away the gold in her satchel, “For not having me arrested, for understanding my situation, for... um... your _hospitality_ last night. Thank you. For everything.”

“Of course.” Fiyero bowed his head respectfully, “I do hope our paths cross again, Glinda. I’ll never forget you.”

Glinda stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “And I’ll never forget you, Fiyero.”

* * *

“See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Nanny asked as she led Elphaba back to their room in the tallest tower of the palace. 

“It wasn’t bad- it was awful.” Elphaba said, their back sore after sitting still for hours and hours to have their portrait painted. 

“Do you need any help changing?”

“If you can loosen my corset, I should be able to take it from there.”

“Alright dear,” Nanny replied as she set to work undoing the intricate lacing of their corset, “I trust that you’ll dress in a way that makes you comfortable. But please, don’t hurt yourself in doing so. It always pains me when I’m helping you dress and I see the bruises on your skin from wrapping your chest. It just breaks my heart, dear, to see you hurting yourself like that.”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Elphaba lied.

“Don’t be silly, Nanny has seen the bruises and the scars. And Nanny is old enough to have a strong maternal instinct- Nanny’s got a natural hunch when someone she loves is in pain.”

“Fine.” Elphaba said with a grunt, finally able to breathe for a moment as Nanny loosened their corset, “It hurts, but not as much of the pain of hating myself.”

“Elphaba…” Nanny started.

“One thing I don’t get…” Elphaba said, finally free of that cursed, awful, busty, restricting corset. They accidentally caught a glimpse of their unbound chest in the mirror, shuddering at the image, “Corsets are just as painful and restricting as binding is, but no one seems to have a problem with me when I wear a corset. Why is that?”

“My dear child, you know exactly why that is.” Nanny said.

Elphaba rolled their eyes. This wasn’t the first time they had tried to have the conversation of corsets vs. binding with Nanny. For some reason she always deflected it.

“Nanny will leave you now, if you’d like to finish changing yourself. After wearing that corset all day, perhaps you might want to skip wrapping your chest for tonight.”

“Don’t tell me what to do…” Elphaba grumbled once Nanny had left. They ripped a new strip of cloth from an old dress, wrapping it tightly around their chest, “You will _never_ understand my pain, Nanny. No one will ever understand.”

They gritted their teeth in pain, their body uncomfortable after only having a few moments of relief from the pressure of the corset they had worn all day. Defeated, they tossed aside the scrap of fabric, deciding to wear a baggy shirt and pants they had sewn for the remainder of the night.

* * *

“Unbelievable...” Glinda muttered to herself as she counted her money later that day. Fiyero had given her a decent amount of gold, enough to keep her alive for a few months. But it wasn’t nearly as much as she would have gotten for the painting.

How had she fallen victim to Fiyero’s charming smile? Normally _she_ was the one getting her way through flirting, how had the tables turned so suddenly?

And why was Fiyero’s beautiful face still burned into the back of her mind?  
  
This wasn’t part of the plan. Flirting was always just for show, just for charming foolish men into letting her get away with crimes.

Was this a taste of her own medicine? Had Fiyero’s smooth voice and charming smile actually done that much to captivate her?

No. She would put it behind her. No use in wishing for people she could never have.

But how would she ever forget him? He had been so unexpectedly kind, something she hadn’t experienced in ages.

She needed a distraction. Something to remind her why she didn’t rely on anyone else, why she vowed to stay independent.

So, she started making plans for the most difficult robbery she had ever attempted.

She was going to steal the crown jewels of Oz.


	2. The Lost "Princess"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glinda, desperately in need of a distraction, executes her biggest heist yet, while Elphaba deals with the daily struggles of being locked away from the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hi, chapter 2 is here, I don't have a lot to say about it other than I hope you enjoy it! This fic has been such a fun project for me so far and I'm excited to keep sharing it with y'all!!
> 
> **warnings: descriptions of physical and emotional abuse**

_ The spirits gazed upon their creation. _

_ “This planet is beautiful,” Yellow said, “But it is far too cold to sustain any beings, and it is far too dark for anyone to see.” _

_ “We shall move our planet in the orbit of the nearest star,” Red replied, “Certainly, that will help.” _

_ “What shall we call this star, Red?” asked Orange. _

_ “We will call it Sun.” _

* * *

Elphaba watched as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness took over the land.

As night fell and the castle grew quiet, Elphaba knew this was their only chance to have even a taste of freedom.

Focusing their energy with a relaxed breath, they conjured a small spark of fire in their hands, using it to light the lantern they kept at their bedside.

They took the lantern in their hands, a literal and figurative glimmer of hope in the dark night.

Treading carefully, they found the specific spot in the floor where they knew they needed to stand if they wanted this to work.

Elphaba took a deep breath, reminding themself to stay grounded, to stay focused. Even though this movement was practically second nature to them by now, they still had to put a lot of concentration into controlling earth- such a strong and unmoving element.

As Elphaba moved their hands through the air, a passageway opened up in the cobblestone floor, leading to a secret tunnel they had carved out over a span of years.

The passageway they had carved led to the castle library, their only refuge from the miseries of the world. They were allowed to visit during the day, but only under careful supervision, only allowed to read books related to their studies: history, religion, language, arithmetic, and little else. Their father didn’t want them learning too much about the world outside of their tower.

At night, however, sneaking into the library gave them access to whatever knowledge they desired. Mythology, fiction, science, magic… there was an entire world at their fingertips, it was worth losing hours upon hours of sleep.

Elphaba enjoyed reading for fun, but they also read in hopes of finding answers to their life’s biggest mysteries.

Why were they born green?

Why did they have the power to control the elements?

Why was their body such a mess?

Why did they never feel comfortable in their own skin?

Elphaba was sick and tired of asking questions.

They wanted answers.

* * *

Glinda tossed and turned that night.

With her gold from Fiyero, she was able to rent out a room in one of the nicer inns in town, she had a comfortable bed and everything- so why couldn’t she sleep?

Fiyero was literally burned into her mind… why?

It was attraction, of course it was, he was smooth talking and charming and absolutely  _ gorgeous _ , why wouldn’t she be attracted to him?

But most of the people she had found herself attracted to, she was able to move on from within a matter of hours… had she gotten too attached to the Vinkan noble?

No, she had no reason to be emotionally attached. She had two conversations and a one night stand with him. That was it.

One conversation. A one night stand. A morning conversation, and then they parted ways. That was it. They couldn’t have engaged in any meaningful conversation for more than, say, ten minutes.

So why did she feel like she had lost a part of her own soul?

She rolled over in bed, blinking in the moonlight. 

She was frustrated. Mentally. Physically. 

She wanted to have Fiyero by her side again, and she hated it.

The stuffy life of nobility was not for her, but being attached to Fiyero meant also attaching herself to snooty, corrupt high society life. 

She couldn’t do that to herself. Not again.

* * *

Fiyero was uneasy- a feeling he had never really experienced before as a nobleman.

Flirting with a thief? Taking her to bed instead of having her arrested? It all went against his common sense, but at the same time… he didn’t regret a single thing.

He thought of their brief conversation that morning, how Glinda had explained  _ why _ she was a thief: she wanted to put corrupt, rich nobles in their place.

It was admirable, yes. But it was unfortunate that Fiyero happened to belong to a rich family that was so horrendously corrupt, one that was such a big target for a thief like Glinda to steal from. If he were a different person, leading a different life, maybe he could keep Glinda by his side. 

Part of him hoped that Glinda would return someday; he had been so inexplicably drawn to her, almost like a magnet. 

It wasn’t just her beauty, he was normally able to ignore a pretty face when he had to. But Glinda... Glinda had drawn him in, with her beauty and her charm and her sweet talk and  _ something else _ that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. 

It was almost like they were destined to meet…

Fiyero dismissed the thought.

He didn’t believe in ridiculous concepts like fate and destiny- they were all nonsense anyway.

* * *

Elphaba nearly fell asleep among the stacks of books they had picked out. Their lantern had flickered down to almost nothing, and a gentle glow, the first hints of dawn, filled the otherwise dark sky out the window.

They didn’t want to leave- they had spent hours on one book: the ancient mythology of the world, legends that had been passed on for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The legend of the Rainbow Spirits and the Soul Crystals. It was so intriguing, even if it was nothing more than a legend.

But, time was running short, they knew their father would arrive at daybreak to wake them for their studies. Their least favorite part of the day… not the studies, but the fact that they had to interact with their absolute monster of a father.

Trudging back up their secret passageway, Elphaba yawned, hoping to get at least an hour or two of sleep before their inevitable rude awakening. 

It seemed like no sooner that they had crawled into bed and finally shut their eyes that there was a harsh knocking at the door.

“Elphaba, I’m coming in.”

Elphaba sat up, stretching. At least their father had the common decency to announce his arrival before barging in. 

“Hello.” Elphaba said blankly, avoiding eye contact with the man who had locked them away from the world.

“Fabala? Is that the proper greeting?”

Elphaba rolled their eyes with a sigh, “Good morning, Father.”

“Much better. How are you feeling this morning, my sweet princess?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“I’m only speaking the truth. You are my daughter, you should be the Crown Princess of Oz, if you would just choose to accept your role in life as the woman that you are.”

“I am not a girl.” Elphaba scowled. They hated getting into this same argument day in and day out.

“Yes you are. You’ve been a girl since your body first started changing at age twelve. At least then I was finally able to decide what you were instead of just guessing all the time. Would you rather I just go back to referring to you as a thing? A monster? “It?”

“Shut up.” Elphaba gritted their teeth. 

“Is that any way to talk to your King?”

**_“Shut up!”_ **

Elphaba took a deep breath, prepared for what would likely come next.

There was a pause, a moment of tension, of anger.

And then- a stinging slap to the face.

“You do not get to talk to me like that, you creature.” Frex seethed, “I am your Sovereign, but above all, I am your Father. You have no right to disrespect me like that, you should be thankful I was kind enough to keep you alive instead of killing you the moment your twisted, vile soul came into this world.”

Elphaba didn’t reply, their face still burning.

Frex's expression softened for a moment, “Elphaba, you are my daughter, and I care about you. I don’t want to keep you locked away in this tower. As I do at the beginning of every week, I am offering you a chance to redeem yourself. It’s not too late for you to give up magic, embrace your femininity, and take your place as Crown Princess of Oz. It’s not too late for you.”

“No.” Elphaba said with a defiant glare, still fighting back tears of pain.

Frex sighed. “Very well. I will send Nanny up to help dress you, and then you can begin your studies for the day.”

“Wait-” Elphaba said just before Frex left the room. 

“What? Have you changed your mind this time?”

“No- I mean… not really, I just had a question.”

“And what would that be?”

“You love me and you care about me, yes?”

“Of course.”

“And because you care about me, you want me to be happy, yes?”

“Where are you going with this…?”

“I want to leave. No matter what I do, I’ll only be miserable if I stay here. I’m nearly 25 years old, I think I can fend for myself out there.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“A normal 25 year old woman  _ might _ be able to take care of herself.” Frex said, “However, you are anything but normal. You’re green, you’re magical, your mind is misplaced, you’ve got demon-like fangs… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg- with the way you look and behave, you wouldn’t last a day in the real world. You may not like it here, but it’s  _ safe _ and that’s what counts.”

“Fine.”

“You don’t know how lucky you are to have me and Nanny taking care of you. In the real world, you’d be lucky to find someone who doesn’t immediately run away screaming.”

“You’ve made your point clear, Father.”

“Good. Now you must get ready for your studies- I don’t want to hear another word about leaving, alright?”

“Alright.”

* * *

The crown jewels of Oz were heavily guarded- Glinda knew this, and she had a plan to successfully break in. She had connections through a network of spies and thieves and rogues, she had rough sketches of the inside of the castle. The shady merchant she had bought it from had mentioned something about having a connection to an undercover spy in the King’s Guard. If the merchant had been telling the truth, then these maps should be reliably accurate.

The castle was a huge, intricate palace, and the crown jewels were kept on display in the throne room- the center of the building. A huge dome of green stained glass hung over the throne room- that looked like it would be her best method of entry- she’d immediately be able to make off with the crown

As for escaping... she worked for days on end mapping out and memorizing dozens of possible escape routes, planning for any situation that might happen. 

The north wing had a series of large windows to make a quick escape, the west wing had plenty of narrow hallways to sneak into, the east wing was above a hidden underground armory- perfect to equip herself to fight back- and the south wing was home to the main entrance. The possibilities for her escape were endless, she had a plan for any situation the guards forced her into.

This heist was going to be a piece of cake.

* * *

One night, Elphaba found themselves wanting to make another visit to the library, desperate to learn every bit of knowledge about the outside world that they could. Maybe they could gather enough information to finally convince Frex to let them be free.

But- revealing that information would give away the secret that they’d been sneaking off to the library unsupervised, which would in turn give away the secret passageway that they had built… that wasn’t a risk they were willing to take. If Frex were to find out about the secret tunnel, he’d have it filled up, he’d find a way to prevent Elphaba from using their magic to escape, he’d take away their last shred of freedom…

That risk was not worth it. It would never be worth it.

The thought came to them, as it did every so often: they had magical powers- why not just use magic to escape?

It would be so easy to do with literally any of the elements. They could jump out the window, manipulating the air currents so they landed safely. They could summon a huge tidal wave from the nearby lake to sweep them away from their tower. They could rearrange the bricks of their tower into a staircase leading out to their freedom. They could spark a fire, destroying their prison of a castle and everything in it, leaving no trace of their past life…

Such tempting options, but the question always remained: Where would they go once they were free? They had no one to turn to, nowhere to go. 

They hated to admit it, but their father  _ did _ have a point: who in the world would give shelter to someone who was such a monster?

Even if they escaped their tower, would they ever really be free?

* * *

Glinda made her way towards Emerald City as the sun dipped below the horizon. Tonight was the night- she had been planning this robbery for over a week. She made sure she had everything she needed in her bag: a glass-cutting knife, a long rope, a dagger in case she got into any trouble, and a ridiculously small bottle of champagne that she’d drink only upon her success.

Tonight was going to be a good night. She would capture the crown jewels and maybe, if she had time, she could find some of the other secret treasures of the royal family. Gold and ancient scrolls and untold riches… so much awaited her in the castle, she could eat like a king for months with all the money she’d be getting…

There was one story, only a rumor, that intrigued her far more than money and riches ever could: the story of a lost princess. There was a rumor that there was a child older than Princess Nessarose, a child born of a forbidden relationship between the Queen and a secret lover, a princess kept hidden away under mysterious circumstances.

The mystery of it all was so exciting. Who was the Queen’s lover? When was the princess born? What was so bad about her that the King felt the need to lock her away?

Glinda blinked, trying to refocus her concentration. There were far more important things to worry about than silly rumors.

Night fell, and clouds rolled in, the perfect cover for her to sneak over the wall of the castle. Scaling the brick wall was easy, getting down was much harder- she lost her footing and fell headfirst into the shrubbery along the wall.

“Who’s there?” A voice, no doubt a guard, asked.

Tangled up in branches, Glinda feared that she was doomed. Suddenly, a small Fox caught her eye, and she gave it a gentle nudge, sending it scurrying out of the bushes.

“Ah, just a little Fox is all,” The guard muttered, continuing on with his rounds.

Glinda sighed a breath of relief as she listened to the guard’s footsteps grow quieter and quieter. Once she figured it was safe, she quickly and quietly stumbled her way out of the bushes she had fallen into.

She had done it- she was inside the castle walls.

She looked at the towering palace in front of her, her sights set on the large glass dome over the central hall. She had anticipated the climb up to the roof to be incredibly challenging, but the vines served as a sort of rope to help her climb up, and the cobblestone walls provided excellent footholds, making the trek to the roof surprisingly easy.

She paused on the roof for a moment, waiting as the full moon peeked through a break in the clouds. She needed a breather, and it would be best to wait for more cloud cover. The last thing she needed right now was for the moonlight to cast her shadow into the throne room.

Eventually, her prayers were answered, and more clouds rolled in, even thicker than before. Rain began to fall from the sky, and the pitter-patter of raindrops against the domed glass roof of the throne room provided excellent cover, though it did leave the glass quite slippery.

Before removing a pane of glass, she decided what the best way to execute her robbery would be. There were two guards in the room, pacing in a circle around the crown jewels. Her best bet would be to drop in immediately above the crown, knock out the guards, and make off with her treasure. She had no clue how heavily armed the guards were or how close backup was, but she knew she needed to act now, not worry about all the potential outcomes. She had a plan for nearly every situation, she just needed to wait to see what unfolded.

Carefully, under the cover of raindrops, she pried away the center panel of glass, tying one end of her rope around the window frame and the other around her waist. 

Without any more hesitation, she lowered herself into the room, letting herself freefall the moment a guard spotted her. 

The guards reached for their swords as Glinda fell through the air, gasping as the rope around her waist went tight. With two armed guards charging her, Glinda knew she only had a second to react.

In one instant, she grabbed the crown, used her dagger to cut her rope, kicked one guard in the face and tackled the other to the ground. She knocked him out with the same pressure point she had used when she broke into the Vinkan mansion the week before.

Knowing there was only a matter of seconds before more guards showed up, Glinda picked a direction in the circular room and ran for her life. That was the one downside of having no moonlight to guide her- she wasn’t entirely sure which way she was running. She had detailed escape plans for every wing of the castle, but she had no clue which cardinal direction she was facing.

With no time to worry, she rounded the corner, seeing guards at the end of the hall, coming towards her. She then turned around, also seeing a pack of guards behind her.

This was not good- she was surrounded.

Luckily, there was a tiny hallway to her right, a narrow corridor with a large wooden door at the end. She hadn’t seen this hallway described in maps- she had no clue where it led. But it was better than being captured by a dozen guards who wanted her dead.

Behind the door was a set of stairs that stretched up as far as the eye could see. She realized that this must be the pathway to the impossibly tall tower she had seen from the outside. Cornering herself in the tallest point of the castle wasn’t the safest idea, but at least it would buy her some time to think of a better escape plan.

It was her only option out, of course, but Glinda also felt drawn to the top of the tower in a way she couldn’t explain.

Clearly she had more experience in running than the guards that were after her did; she reached the top of the stairs in no time, leaving the guards in her dust.

The door at the top of the stairs was locked- she pulled out her dagger and wedged it into the keyhole, easily picking the lock.

She closed and locked the door behind her, finding herself in a tiny cobblestone room.

A rustling from across the room startled her.

“Who are you?” A voice asked, clearly just as scared as Glinda was.

“It doesn’t matter- is there anywhere in this room that I can hide?”

“What? Who are you and why do you need to be hidden?”

“Long story short, I’m a thief, the guards are after me, and I need shelter.”

The other person in the room, still obscured by shadow, paused for a moment- with every second that passed, the guards grew closer.

“So?” Glinda asked, growing more panicked by the second, “Will you help me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! as always, feedback and comments are deeply appreciated!
> 
> If you liked this story, I kindly ask that you give me a follow on tumblr @two-gay-witches, and reblog the link to this fic! I'm so excited to share this story and I'd love if you as readers would help me reach a wider audience! Reblogs>likes!
> 
> thank you for reading, and have a great day!


	3. Freefall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Glinda finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yeah it's been a minute I kind of got writer's block combined with depression but I am getting over both of those things now and I'm happy to share the next chapter with you all!!
> 
> **warnings: brief descriptions of emotional abuse, some references to misgendering and dysphoria**

“So? Will you help me?”

Elphaba blinked at the silhouette in front of them. They were a thief, they had broken into the castle, and now they were begging for shelter? The entire situation was so incredibly strange, but Elphaba felt compelled to say yes.

“I can help you.” Elphaba whispered, knowing there was no time to waste, “I’m going to do something, don’t freak out, I can explain later.”

The motion was as natural as breathing by now. Directing their energy into the stone around them, they opened up the secret passageway in the floor of their room.

“What?!” The thief gasped.

“I have magic powers, don’t worry about it, you need to hide. Now.” Elphaba nudged the stranger into the dark alcove. “Give me your jacket, I can throw them off your trail.”

The stranger complied, and Elphaba sealed the passageway.

Quickly, they flung the jacket out of the window and sat back down on their bed.

“Open up in the name of the King!” The guards said, moments before bursting into the room.

Elphaba sat on their bed, making sure they looked dazed and confused, although, admittedly, they didn’t have to try that hard- this was such a strange situation they were in... 

“What in the world is happening?” Elphaba asked with a yawn.

“Elphaba,” The captain of the guard started, out of breath from running up the stairs, “There was a thief that broke into the castle, stole the crown jewels, evaded our pursuit, and ran up the stairs to this tower- where did he go?”

“A thief? I don’t know anything about a thief, I was asleep, then some maniac burst in here and then just leapt out the window, and then you all showed up. That’s the story of my night.”

“He just... jumped out the window?”

“Yep.”

“There’s no way he’d survive a fall from that height... unless he found a way to get up on the roof…” The captain turned to his cohorts, “Alright men, half of you go down to the courtyard to look for the body of that no-good thief, the other half search the roof to see if he made a quick escape.”

And then, just as quickly as they had arrived, the pack of guards emptied out of the room.

Once they were certain no one else was around, Elphaba opened up the passageway again. “You can come out now,” they said, “They’re gone.”

“You can move rocks?!” The thief exclaimed, “How?”

“Magic,” Elphaba replied, “I can control the elements, to some degree.” They lit the lantern by their bedside, making sure to keep their green skin hidden in shadow.

“You just moved stone like it was nothing, and you just lit a lantern with your hands… you… you’re magical... ”

“Yes, I am.” Elphaba blushed, flustered with all the attention they were getting, “We can talk about that later, first I need to know who you are.”

“I’m a thief, I thought that was obvious.”

“I know you’re a thief,” Elphaba rolled their eyes, “But have you got a name?”

* * *

“Have you got a name?”

Glinda froze- should she really be giving so much information to someone she had literally just met? She was a wanted criminal, after all; if she let too many people find out too much about her, she’d have a much higher chance of being captured, and she didn’t want to take that risk.

But this strange person, whoever they were, felt like someone that Glinda could trust.

“I’m Glinda.” she replied, “Professional thief.”

“I wouldn’t say you’re very professional if you had all the guards on your tail like that. If I weren’t here to save you, they’d have you hanging from the gallows by now.”

“Oh shush,” Glinda grumbled, mad that the statement was true, “Anyway, who are you?”

“I... I am no one.”

“That’s impossible, you’ve got to at least have a name.”

The mysterious stranger said nothing.

Glinda paused and looked around the room, following the dancing shadows from the flickering lantern. The room was small, void of any decoration except for a small closet, a mirror, and a woven blue rug. Next to the lantern on the bedside table was a small vase with a wilted flower in it. 

Glinda had been in her fair share of palaces, and she had never seen a room as tiny, cramped, and dull as this one, except for the prisons and dungeons. Even the lowliest of servants had better living arrangements than this... who, in the most powerful family in Oz, would ever live like this.

“I have a name, but it’s not important to anyone.”

The firelight flickered in a way that illuminated a hint of skin- Glinda swore it was green- but there was no such thing as a person with green skin- it had to be a trick of the light.

Unless...

Everything clicked into place.

The tallest tower of the palace.

The magic.

The awful conditions.

The green skin.

“You’re the lost princess…” Glinda said as the realization crashed over her like a wave, “I’ve heard the rumors but I didn’t think they were real... you’re actually the lost princess!”

* * *

_ Princess _ . 

After years and years, the word still stung.

_ The Lost Princess. _

There were rumors? 

How did rumors even begin to spread, Elphaba wondered, if they had never been seen by the public eye?

“You’re actually the lost princess!”

“Don’t call me a princess- please.”

“You  _ are _ the lost princess though, right?”

“Lost? Not really. I was never lost. I was hidden away from the world for, well… obvious reasons. But a princess is something that I never have been and never will be. I refuse to be royalty in a family like this, and I refuse to be labeled as a woman because of how I look.”

“So you’re a prince, then?”

“I appreciate your open-mindedness, Glinda, I really do.” Elphaba stood up and crossed the room to where Glinda was standing, the closer distance allowing them to lower their voice. They still weren’t comfortable talking about their own gender out loud, it felt safer to keep it to a whisper. “But I am not royalty, I need no titles. And even if I were royalty, neither princess nor prince is a fitting title for me. Please, just call me Elphaba.”

“Of course,” Glinda bowed her head in respect, “Elphaba, thank you for saving me from the guards- is there anything I can do to repay you for your kindness?”

“Well…” Elphaba paused for a moment in deliberation. For years, they only had two goals: to get some answers to their mysterious past and to finally be free from the confines of the tower. They figured a common thief wouldn’t have any answers to their history, but, if Glinda was as good at breaking out of places as she was at breaking in, maybe there was a chance for escape, “I’ve always wanted to see the outside world. When you leave, can you take me with you?”

“Of course. As soon as the guards stop looking for me, we can escape.”

* * *

Minutes passed, and before long the minutes stretched into an hour, and then two. Glinda sat on the floor, leaning against the cold cobblestone wall, desperate to get a little bit of rest before escaping.

Elphaba was... strange. So secretive, so mysterious. Glinda had dozens of questions she wanted to ask them, but they had only just met, she didn’t want to go digging too deep into the personal life of a complete stranger.

Besides, this was just another encounter on one of her missions. She’d help this weird green person escape, then she’d be on her way, finding the best market to sell the crown jewels to. She didn’t need to waste any time getting attached to people.

But... Elphaba was so interesting, one little question couldn’t hurt. Glinda managed to convince herself that she wasn’t even  _ that _ curious, she just wanted to make some conversation to pass the time. That’s all it was.

“Elphaba?”

“Yeah?”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you been locked away in here?”

“I’ve been here since I was eleven. It’s been over a dozen years since I’ve set foot outside the castle gates. I’m only ever allowed to leave this room for meals, studying in the library, and sometimes, if I’m well behaved and very, very lucky, I can go for a walk in the gardens.”

“Oh,” Glinda replied, little more than a breath, a release of tension, the only response to such an awful backstory, “Then... that’s all the more reason to help you escape.”

“Thank you for doing this.” Elphaba said, checking out the window for guards yet again, “It really means a lot.”

“Of course.” Glinda replied. 

There was a moment, a tense silence, before Glinda spoke again, “I’m going to try and get some rest- I haven’t slept in nearly two days.”

“Alright. I’ll wake you when it’s safe to leave.”

“Thanks,” Glinda said with a yawn, letting her eyes slip shut. 

She tried to rest, but her mind was still wandering. She had allowed herself to ask one question about Elphaba’s past, and she would stop there. But... hidden away for over a decade? Rarely allowed to set foot outside? The answer Elphaba had given only raised dozens of more questions. Not to mention, Glinda still hadn’t gotten the chance to ask about their powers.

But, if she kept digging, Glinda knew she would get so wrapped up in this tangled mystery of a person that she wouldn’t be able to let go.

So, she stayed quiet, not asking any of the questions that were buzzing in her mind. 

She would not let herself get attached to  _ another _ person, not while she was still trying to get over Fiyero. 

In the morning, she would help Elphaba escape, and then she would be on her merry way.

She forced herself to fall asleep.

* * *

It was nearly dawn. Elphaba wasn’t quite sure if all the guards had dispersed yet, but they knew it would be best to escape under the cover of darkness.

They packed as much as they could carry into the rug in the center of their room, then tied the corners together, creating a sort of makeshift bag. It would have to do for now.

“Glinda,” Elphaba whispered in the direction of the girl slumped against the wall, fast asleep, “Glinda, wake up.”

“Hm?” Glinda slowly opened her eyes with a yawn, “Time to go already?”

“Yeah. We need to leave before sunrise, the sooner the better. Ideally, I’d like to put as much distance as possible between us and the kingdom before anyone notices we’re gone.”

“Makes sense.” Glinda stood up and stretched, “So… how exactly are we going to get out of here? Through that secret tunnel?”

“Nope.”

“Then how are we-”

“Take my hand.” Elphaba said, standing on their bed next to the window. With a wave of their hand they rearranged the bricks nearest to the window, creating a tiny ledge just barely big enough for the two of them to stand on.

“Are you crazy?” Glinda asked, hesitantly taking Elphaba’s hand, and stepping onto the precarious ledge, “How is creating a little ledge going to get us out of here?”

“I know I keep saying I’ll explain my powers later and I’m sorry that I keep putting this conversation on hold. I promise I’ll explain this once we’re somewhere safer. Basically, ever since I was little, I’ve had the power to control the elements. Water, Earth, Fire, Air. If I do this right- I’ve never really worked with air that much before- I should be able to manipulate the air currents to allow us to fly, in a sense.”

“And what if you don’t do it right?”

“Then we go plummeting to our deaths.”

“You’re crazy, you’re seriously crazy…” Glinda let go of their hand, stepping off the ledge, back into the castle.

“Do you trust me?” Elphaba asked, turning back to face Glinda.

“Not really.”

“That’s fair. But do you want to make it out of here without risking getting caught by the guards again?”

“That would be nice.”

“Then come with me,” Elphaba extended their hand again, “I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

* * *

It was thrilling. 

In the dim gray light signaling that dawn was on its way, Glinda stood in the silhouette of a mysterious sorcerer, a bony, green hand extending out towards her.

This moment could change her life forever. 

There was also a chance that it could be the last moment of her life.

Was this a risk she was willing to take?

“I promise,” Elphaba’s voice was intense, partially obscured by the rush of wind outside the window. Their eyes shimmered with a fierce glow that seemed deeply sincere and almost magical in a way, “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

A promise- something she hadn’t heard in years. 

Her life had been so full of broken promises- Glinda knew deep down in her heart that this was a promise that wouldn’t be broken. She could feel it in her very soul.

So, she took Elphaba’s hand.

And together, they leapt out the window.

* * *

Elphaba focused, holding on tightly to Glinda, pulling her close. It was… strange, but the closer together they were, the easier it would be to bend the air currents around them and start flying.

They hadn’t particularly focused on air magic before, not on this scale at least. Up until now, working with air had been for little more than entertainment, keeping a scrap of cloth off the ground for as long as possible, creating little figure eights in the air, blowing dust specks into fun designs.

This was not entertainment, however. This was a matter of life and death.

And currently, things were looking a bit more like death. 

They had to focus, feel the rushing of air past them as they plummeted towards the ground. They had never moved air on such a massive scale before, they didn’t know if it would even work.

With a grunt of determination, Elphaba controlled all their magic into the air around them.

They needed to make this work. For freedom. For Glinda.

* * *

Glinda might have been screaming as she fell through the air- she couldn’t really tell.

All she could hear was the whooshing of wind in her ears.

Elphaba pulled her close- they were falling  _ together. _

Time seemed to freeze as the ground grew closer and closer.

Then, in an instant, everything shifted. Elphaba stood up, as if walking on solid ground, carrying Glinda in their arms- a strangely intimate yet comforting position that made her feel safe.

“Wow!” Glinda exclaimed as Elphaba picked up their pace, practically running through the sky, “This is incredible!”

“It really is- I’ve never done this before.”

“I’d say you’re doing pretty good for your first time.”

“Thanks.” Elphaba smiled- this was the first time Glinda had seen them smile; it was oddly charming, the way their pointed teeth curved into a grin. 

Glinda decided she wouldn’t mind seeing their smile more. After years in isolation, Elphaba, whatever kind of sorcerer or creature or person they were, finally had a reason to smile, and that fact alone warmed Glinda’s heart.

It warmed her heart, and that was terrifying. She had gotten attached to people before, but no one, except  _ maybe _ Fiyero, had been able to capture her heart so quickly.

* * *

“So… where’s the safest place outside of Oz to hide?” Elphaba asked a short while later.

“Probably the Eastern Woods.” Glinda replied, “There’s a few outposts where we might be able to find some food and supplies. If we can’t manage to find an outpost, then there’s plenty of wild plants in the woods, we can always forage.”

“Okay…” Elphaba replied, then paused for a moment, “Um… which way is East? I’ve never really been beyond the kingdom before, I’ve never needed directions.”

“Towards the sunrise,” Glinda laughed. Elphaba hoped she was laughing out of amusement rather than mockery.

“Towards the sunrise, got it.” Elphaba confirmed and hurried in that direction as the first golden beams of dawn shimmered across the land.

The sunrise was beautiful, and Elphaba couldn’t help but let tears stream down their face.

They were free…

_ Finally free... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thank you for reading, please let me know what you thought of this chapter!!


	4. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back, I'm excited to share this chapter with y'all!!
> 
> As per usual, let me know what you think, and help a creator out by reblogging on tumblr! It would mean the world to me!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> **Warnings: mentions of gender dysphoria**

_ The spirits created a beautiful new world with Moon and Sun. A bright light by day and a gentle glow at night, truly a serene sight to behold. _

_ “It’s a wonderful planet we’ve created,” Blue said to Green one day, “But it’s so... empty.” _

_ “I agree,” Green replied, “Now that we have warmth and light, we need something on the planet to be able to  _ _ feel _ _ that warmth, to  _ _ see _ _ that light. We need to create new souls, new spirits, physical entities to roam our new world.” _

_ “Creating… as the spirit of growth, that sounds like a job for you, Green.” _

_ “I cannot do this alone. None of us spirits can act alone. I will need help from all of you to create beings to roam this desolate rock.” _

_ “What are we going to call these new mortal souls?” _

_ “Oh, they will all have their own names.” Green answered, their energy sparkling with delight, “But collectively… we are creating Life.” _

* * *

Elphaba smiled as they soared through the air. This was the farthest they’d ever been outside the castle walls, and they were amazed at how beautiful the world was.

The sun was rising, filling the sky with a golden glow and pink-tinted clouds, and it was so incredible, unlike anything they’d ever seen before.

Below them was a forest, filled with trees of green, some covered in brilliant blossoms- soft pink and gentle purple hues. 

The world was so… colorful, so beautiful compared to the dull cobblestone walls they had grown so used to seeing day in and day out.

“We should land,” Elphaba said to Glinda, who had settled into their embrace, “Two people flying through the sky... we look a bit out of place, we’d be easily spotted- and I don’t think either of us want that.”

“Good idea.” Glinda replied, “Looks like there’s a small clearing up ahead, could we land there?”

“Yeah, that looks like a good spot. There’s just one problem…”

“And what is that?”

“I have no clue how to  _ gently _ land.” Elphaba admitted, “So… this could be interesting.”

* * *

The landing  _ was _ interesting, for lack of a better term- it consisted of Elphaba stumbling towards the ground and accidentally flinging Glinda into a bush before crashing headfirst into a tree. It was awkward and messy and painful in the moment, but looking back on it, Glinda couldn’t help but laugh.

It was a beautiful little clearing they’d found themselves in- a little patch of sunshine in the midst of a grove of trees.

“I think we’ll be safe here, at least for a few hours.”

“Good,” Elphaba replied with a yawn, sitting down and leaning against the same tree they had crashed into earlier, “I’m exhausted- flying takes a lot out of you.”

“You get some rest, then. I’ll see if any of the bushes around here have berries, we deserve a decent breakfast.”

“Sounds good. Wake me up if we need to get moving.”

“Will do. Sleep well.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Glinda didn’t waste any time getting to work setting up a small, temporary camp. She distinctly remembered that the bush she had been flung into earlier during their crash landing had some kind of fruit growing on it- upon closer inspection they were razzberries, sweet, non-poisonous, and perfect for a small breakfast.

She picked a handful of berries and stashed them away in her satchel before realizing just how cluttered the bag was. Would it be risky, she wondered, to organize her belongings? She’d have to take everything out of her bag in order to clean- what if she needed to make a hasty retreat?

Ultimately, Glinda decided, organizing her bag was something that needed to be done- it would make things much easier in the long run.

As Glinda spread out her belongings in front of her, she realized that she really didn’t have much to her name- most of her clothes and about half her money were still in the village. She had rented a room at an inn with the intent of returning by daybreak, but now here she was, in the middle of the forest, miles from the kingdom, with a magical, green stranger.

She didn’t have much on her- a change or two of clothes, a blanket, a sack of gold pieces, a dagger, the tiny bottle of champagne that she had intended to drink in celebration upon successfully stealing the crown jewels- which she  _ had _ done, so she downed the miniscule amount of alcohol in a quick gulp.

And finally, nestled at the very bottom of her bag, among a few scattered razzberries… the crown jewels of Oz. This was the first time she had gotten a good look at them. It was a magnificent headpiece covered predominantly in emeralds, studded with diamonds and rubies around the base. The centerpiece of the crown was a shard of sapphire, the shiniest and most pristine gem Glinda had ever seen. It truly was a sight to behold.

Glinda smiled, for she knew this was easily the most valuable item in the world- and now, it was all hers.

* * *

Elphaba stirred, unaware for a moment of where they were. They hadn’t quite fallen asleep during their period of rest, the faint memories of almost-dreams fading away like smoke in the wind.

They slowly opened their eyes to find themselves amongst tall grass and buzzing insects- they were in the woods…

Everything came rushing back, memories breaking through the haze of sleep. A break-in, a thief, a daring escape, a bumpy landing.

They had  _ escaped _ . That fact alone was almost too much to process.

“Good morning,” Glinda said with a smile, and it took Elphaba a moment to remember why they had a traveling partner, “Did you sleep well?”

Elphaba yawned as they sat up and stretched, their mind still foggy. “Not really.”

“Hopefully we can find an outpost or a village by sunset, you deserve some actual rest. Unfortunately, there’s no time to waste, I’d be willing to bet that there’s already guards after us.”

“So…” Elphaba stood up and looked around the clearing, unsure of which way was which, “Where do we go?”

“Follow me,” Glinda said as she started hiking through the trees.

Elphaba scrambled to gather their belongings, tying everything together in the rug they were using as a makeshift bag.

“Well? Are you coming?”

“Yes, yes, just give me a second,” Elphaba slung their bag over their shoulder and hurried to catch up with Glinda.

“If I remember correctly, there should be a path a little ways north of this clearing that will get us to a village eventually. I’m not as familiar with the eastern woods as I should be, considering the amount of traveling I do. I usually prefer routes through the mountains, it’s a lot easier to keep a sense of direction up there.”

“So…” Elphaba started as they followed Glinda through the woods, constantly being assaulted by branches and nearly tripping over roots, “You do a lot of traveling then?”

“I have to. I’m a thief, I’m always on the run.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“It is, believe me. But it’s also nice- we have such a beautiful world, and I get to spend my life exploring it.”

“Sounds a heck of a lot better than being cooped up in a single room for years.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how awful that must have been…”

“It was terrible.” Elphaba replied with a sigh. They didn’t want to linger on the topic of their past, not with a stranger, at least. They quickly moved on, “But it’s over, I’ve escaped, and I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”

“No worries- anything to thank you for hiding me from the guards.”

There was a brief silence, and Elphaba, who had never really had much social interaction, wasn’t quite sure how to keep a conversation going. Luckily, they didn’t have to worry, as Glinda spoke up again just a few moments later.

“One thing I was wondering though- you have magical powers. Which, by the way, you have yet to explain to me.”

“I’m sorry,” Elphaba said defensively, “There hasn’t really been a good time yet, I-”

“Don’t worry about it, there’s no rush. Once we find somewhere to stay the night maybe you can tell me a bit more about your magic. Anyway, you’ve had this magic all along- what was stopping you from escaping?"

“Technically? Nothing.” Elphaba replied, “I could’ve left at any time.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Where would I have gone once I was free? Imagine me, alone in a world that doesn’t even know I exist, in a world that would be horribly unkind to me. I wouldn’t have lasted a day.”

“Why did you leave now, though? What changed?”

“I left because I finally had the chance to make my way through the world with someone by my side through it all,” Elphaba replied, “I left because I have you to help guide me.” They paused and for a fleeting second, considered reaching out for Glinda’s hand, but they thought better of it and continued on following along in silence.

* * *

“Aha! Here’s the path,” Glinda announced triumphantly as she pressed on through the last of the thicket, grabbing Elphaba’s hand and guiding them to the dusty dirt path. To call it a path was an overstatement- the trail was little more than an area where the grass was shorter, worn down from the footsteps of hundreds upon hundreds of travelers, “We should be able to reach the nearest village by sundown, if not earlier.”

“Great, I’m exhausted.”

“Are you hungry?” Glinda asked, digging through her bag, “I picked a few razzberries earlier, I’m more than willing to share. Or, if you’d like to forage for yourself, I can help with plant identification, or-”

“I’m not hungry, thank you though.”

“Are… are you sure? You haven’t eaten anything today.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Elphaba snapped, “Since when did you care so much about me?”

“Since you saved my life earlier.”

“Yeah…” Elphaba grumbled in agreement, their dark eyes flashing with… something. Glinda couldn’t tell what emotion they were feeling, “But you saved my life too, so you don’t have to offer me food like you owe me something.”

Glinda focused her attention on the path ahead of her for a moment, stealing a quick glance at Elphaba as she walked. They were so... jagged. Was that even the right word? They were strong, fierce, independent, but at the same time, it was so obvious that they were lost and lonely and broken. Like a grove of thorns, Glinda knew there had to be a soul beneath that tough exterior.

But maybe it was none of her business. Elphaba was someone who would be in her life for a few days tops until they could find a place to live out their life in freedom and peace. It wasn’t her business to get invested in the tragic backstory of a weird green magician.

Glinda jumped back to reality when she realized she was still looking at Elphaba, who was shooting her a look somewhere between confusion and anger.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Elphaba snapped.

“Nothing… I was just lost in thought, is all.”

“Hmph.”

“What’s got you so grouchy?”

“Sorry, I really don’t mean to come off as mad. I’ve just had a really long day.” Elphaba replied with a deep sigh, as if they were shrugging off all the pressures of the day, “Some lunatic came barging into my room in the middle of the night, chased by a pack of guards, and as a result, I barely got a wink of sleep.”

“Right.” Glinda replied, brushing off the comment, unable to tell if her companion was being humorous or if they were actually annoyed, “Anyway, I want you to know that me offering you food isn’t because I feel like I owe you for saving my life.”

“Really? Then what’s it for?”

Glinda stopped walking and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a handful of berries, “I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

Elphaba paused, hesitated for a moment before carefully accepting the food. 

“Thank you,”

Glinda stole one last glance at Elphaba, whose eyes were shimmering with what she assumed to be gratitude.

Seeing Elphaba happy warmed Glinda’s heart- she smiled as she continued on through the woods.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set as the outpost finally came into view- a gentle glow among the lengthening shadows of the towering pine trees.

“Here we are,” Glinda announced, taking Elphaba’s hand as they reached the outpost. “Pine Lodge Trading Post. I’ve been here a few times, it’s a nice little place. They’ve got a trading post, a pub, an inn, and… that’s about it.”

Elphaba took a quick survey of their surroundings- the outpost was little more than a circle of small cabins in the heart of the woods. It was small, nothing terribly impressive, but even something as simple as a little outpost felt like a safe haven to Elphaba. Anything was better than their previous living conditions, and anything was better than wandering around the woods for hours on end.

“Wait, you said three things- I only see two buildings.”

Glinda laughed to herself, “Right, I forgot you haven’t been out much in your life. Anyway, a lot of outposts, especially in this region of the continent, have lodging and services in the same building- it saves on space.”

“Makes sense.” Elphaba said with a yawn.

“You sound tired,” Glinda observed, yawning herself, “And I do too... On a normal night I’d suggest we stay at the pub for a while but with the long day we’ve had, I think it would just be best to skip the drinking and get some rest.”

Elphaba hummed in agreement as Glinda led the way into the nearly empty pub.

“Welcome to Pine Lodge Pub and Inn.” The bartender said, “You look like a couple of travelers, can I get you a pint or a room- or both?”

Glinda set a few pieces of gold on the counter, “Just one double room for now, please.

“Hold on,” Elphaba said, their heart skipping a beat, “Won’t we need two single rooms?”

“I mean, if you really want to, we can, but I thought it might be nice to have some company for once. We won’t be sleeping in the same bed or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s cheaper to rent one double room than two single rooms anyway.”

“Okay,” Elphaba agreed, far too tired to put up any sort of resistance.

The owner of the inn gave Glinda a key and a small lantern. Elphaba followed her up the set of rickety wooden stairs to their room- a small room with two beds, a nightstand, a washroom, and little else. It was by no means a life of luxury, but it was better than being outside in the summer heat and it was  _ far _ better than their previous living conditions.

Elphaba sat down on their bed, relieved to finally give their aching feet a break from standing. They rummaged through their belongings, glad that they had the common sense to bring a change of clothes. Glinda was changing in the washroom, so they figured it wouldn’t hurt for them to quickly change out here.

Elphaba pulled off the simple dress they had been wearing all day; it was nothing more than a nightgown, essentially, and after a day of trekking through the wilderness it was practically useless. Luckily, they had brought a couple changes of clothes, including a second nightgown. 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Elphaba realized how much their back and shoulders ached- they needed to take off the strip of fabric that they used to bind their chest. A long day of strenuous hiking combined with the physical stress of binding had led to nearly unbearable pain.

Quickly, so as not to trigger their own dysphoria, Elphaba undid the bindings around their chest and slipped into their clean nightdress. They reached around the back of their neck and unclasped the necklace they had been wearing: a long silver chain with a shimmering emerald pendant. It had been a gift from their mother, passed down to the oldest child in the Thropp lineage at birth.

Their mother was a touchy subject, one Elphaba preferred to keep their mind off of. Luckily for them, Glinda emerged from the washroom, providing the perfect distraction to keep their mind off of their mother.

“Hey,” Glinda said as she sat down on her own bed, setting the lantern down on the table between the two beds. Her eyes darted to the necklace as Elphaba was setting it on the edge of the nightstand, “Nice necklace. Where’d you get it?”

“It was my mother’s.” Elphaba replied, annoyed that they were immediately thrown back to the topic of their family, “She died when I was young. I don’t like talking about her.”

“I’m sorry… It’s still a beautiful necklace though.”

“Yeah, you would say that, being a thief and all.”

“Oh shush, learn to take a compliment, will you? I’m your friend, I won’t steal your necklace.”

Elphaba smiled, “That’s good to know.”

“Anyway…” Glinda sighed, her blue eyes sparkling in the dim glow of the lantern, “Sorry if you really wanted your own room, money is tight for me right now and-”

“You figured I didn’t want to be alone anymore?”

“Yeah, that’s part of it. I feel something for you. Maybe it’s care, maybe it’s pity, maybe it’s something else, but whatever it is... It would break my heart for you to spend another night alone after years of isolation.”

Elphaba felt tears pricking at their eyes, unsure of what to say.

“And…” Glinda continued on, “Honestly, I don’t want to be alone anymore either. I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve been on the run now. It’s nice to have some company, even if it’s just for a day or two.”

“Company.” Elphaba echoed, still struggling to form a coherent thought, shocked after Glinda’s declaration of caring for them, “Company is nice.”

“It really is.” Glinda said with an awkward smile.

There was a pause, a beat, a fraction of a second where Elphaba locked eyes with Glinda. They swore they had seen those eyes before, mystical and blue and genuine and- it was a silly thought, there was no way they had met Glinda before, they hadn’t been outside the castle in years.

“Alright-” Glinda said abruptly, breaking the silent tension between them as she flopped onto her bed with a sigh, “It’s been a long day. We should get some rest, we can plan for the journey ahead tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Elphaba answered, “I hope sleep finds you well.”

“You too.”

Elphaba turned out the lantern and crawled under their blankets, more comfortable than they’d been in ages.

But, as tired as their body was, their mind refused to rest.

Twice,  _ twice _ in one day, Glinda had mentioned that she was trying to be a good friend.

And then, Glinda had even mentioned  _ caring _ about them!

Glinda’s words rang in the back of Elphaba’s mind, like ripples in a pond, like the echo of a shout off of canyon walls. Elphaba was elated- knowing that there was someone out there who wanted to at least  _ try _ to be a friend to them, someone who was kind enough to even consider their feelings.

That fact alone was enough to fill them with a strange spark, something that had driven them on through the long hours of walking in the summer heat, that had helped them push through the tedium and awkwardness of the silence that hung in the air between them and Glinda. It was something that had motivated them through the day and left a fire in their belly that left them willing to push on through whatever adventures tomorrow had in store.

Could that something have possibly been… hope?

Hope- something they had spent nearly their entire life without… and now it had finally returned, in the form of a mysterious, blonde thief…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, comments, feedback, and reblogs are appreciated!!
> 
> tumblr: two-gay-witches


	5. Rainstorms, Magic, and Tipsy Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all in the title of the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello readers! I hope life is going well wherever you are, and I hope my story is able to serve as a bright spot in your day!! :)
> 
> **warnings: passing mentions of abuse**

_And so, Green told all the spirits of their plan to bring Life to the planet._

_“I will need a little bit of help from all of you.” Green said, addressing their somewhat skeptical colleagues. “Red. You are the spirit of adventure. It will be the desire of all walks of Life, to seek new adventures, to explore, to see every sight our vast world has to offer.”_

_“Orange,” Green continued on, “As the spirit of energy, you will be essential. Energy is needed for Life. All beings will have their own energy, a miniature spirit inside of them, guiding them in their lives. Energy is what will drive every single living creature.”_

_“How could I possibly be relevant?” Yellow asked, “Happiness is kind of a vague thing, it’s impossible to be happy all the time. Even as the embodiment of happiness itself, I have my good days and bad days…”_

_“Of course it is impossible, and even unhealthy, to be constantly happy. But happiness is still a worthwhile pursuit, and with your contribution, it will be every creature’s natural instinct to seek out happiness, to find the joys in existence. You are an essential part of this team, Yellow. Never forget that.”_

_“Thank you.” Yellow replied, glowing a bit brighter._

_“Blue, the spirit of loyalty. You play an important role as well. Every creature will have its own moral compass, which they can follow in any direction they choose. Imbued with a sense of loyalty, they will be guided to the choices that are true to themselves and beneficial to their group as a whole. Loyalty, along with happiness and adventure, will be the three guiding principles of Life.”_

_“And Purple, the spirit of magic, you will help bring life to my creations, you will give them sentience. You will also embed the world with magic, even in the tiniest ways. Mundane ways, even. Oh, the possibilities are endless… we can create small creatures that glow to communicate, we can make the clouds pink at dawn and dusk, we can fly our colors in the sky after a storm, oh the world will be so magical…”_

_“I am the spirit of growth, and as such it is my job to create each and every being that will reside on our new planet. I can create all I want, but without your energy, my creations will be nothing but empty shells. So, if you are all on board with creating Life, then let us begin.”_

_It was almost like an intricate dance. Green would conjure up a new creature, give it a name, and the other spirits would give it Life. Guiding principles, sentience, energy, magic. Slowly, one by one, each creature was born, given Life by the spirits of the sky._

_“We’ve done it,” Green said, glowing brighter than ever, “We’ve accomplished our goal, we’ve created a planet full of Life. Thank you for your help, my friends.”_

_“Of course, my dear,” Blue replied, “This truly was a fun adventure, though I have one question.”_

_“And what is that?”_

_“What do we do now? This was our most monumental challenge yet, what else is there to accomplish?”_

_“I’m… I’m not sure,” Green replied, “Until we figure out our next plan… why don’t we just stay and watch over all the new Life we’ve created? We’ve nothing else to do- and we can’t just abandon our newly created world.”_

_“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to stay for a while,” Blue answered, turning their gaze back to the planet._

* * *

A crack of thunder woke Glinda from her sleep. She had never particularly cared for thunderstorms, being frightened of them as a child and still moderately annoyed by them even as an adult.

Rain pattered on the windows incessantly as another pang of thunder echoed through the dark. 

Glinda sat up in her bed, knowing it would be a while before she’d be able to fall asleep again. 

So she sat, alone with the rain and her thoughts. 

Her heart was aching, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint _why_ … her mind wandered to Fiyero, to his charming smile and dashingly good looks and to some quality about him that Glinda had found simply irresistible. 

Oh what she wouldn’t give to be in Fiyero’s arms again… but at the same time, she didn’t particularly hate her current arrangements. There was a certain charm about sharing a living space with an intimidating and intriguing stranger, a cozy room above a crusty pub… It was a new experience for Glinda, and there was something about the thrill of it all that she loved. 

Elphaba, Glinda knew, was something else. They were frightening yet genuine, intimidating but kind, and she had only known them for a day but was drawn to them in a way she had never felt before- not in any sense of physical attraction, but something entirely different. There was so much to discover about this person’s past, about their powers, their history. Glinda had sworn she wouldn’t get attached to Elphaba, but at the same time… Elphaba was like a personal little mystery, and Glinda was so tempted to linger in this companionship, to take her time unraveling the mysterious Elphaba like a spool of yarn…

“Glinda?”

Glinda gasped, turning towards the voice, startled despite the fact that she knew there was only one person who could’ve been talking to her.

“Why are you awake?” Glinda whispered to Elphaba.

“Funny, I was about to ask the same question of you.”

“I… I was scared of storms as a kid.” Glinda admitted. Normally she was so reluctant to open up about things like this- but for reasons she couldn’t quite explain she felt so comfortable letting Elphaba get closer to her, “I still get uneasy, even now.”

“That’s understandable. We all have our fears.”

A flash of lightning illuminated the room just long enough for Glinda to catch a glimpse of compassion in Elphaba’s dark eyes.

“What’s your biggest fear?” Glinda asked, desperate to keep a conversation going.

Elphaba chuckled, “You really think I’d just tell you something that personal? I haven’t even known you for a day.”

Glinda was thankful it was still night, the darkness hid her blushing. “For the record, I’m not _scared_ of thunderstorms, not anymore at least. I have _real_ fears too. But… that’s not important right now. The thunder woke me up, and that’s that. Why are _you_ awake?”

“Same reason,” Elphaba replied as another clap of thunder struck, “Do… do you mind if I sit next to you? I rather enjoy watching storms.”

“Of course,” Glinda replied, turning around in her bed so she was facing the window rather than the aisle between the beds, and scooting over a bit to allow Elphaba room to sit next to her.

* * *

There were a few minutes of gentle silence between the two, punctuated by the pitter-patter of raindrops on the windowpane.

“I want to apologize for being so snappy with you on the way here.” Elphaba said as they stared out the window at the storm, “I was exhausted, and on top of that I was confused and scared and... this is the first time in my life I’ve really been free, it’s a lot for me to process. I can assure you I’m not always _quite_ this snarky.”

“No worries, I completely understand.”

“I also wanted to thank you, _properly_ thank you, for helping me escape. You quite literally saved my life, I was starting to lose my will to go on…” Elphaba paused, blinking away tears, “You saved me, and for that, I can’t possibly thank you enough.”

Elphaba froze when Glinda carefully raised a hand to wipe away their tears. Glinda’s touch was so gentle, caressing their cheek softly, the same spot where they had been slapped by their own father only days before. The contrast was like day and night...

“I’m glad I was able to make such a difference. In the moment, helping you escape was a snap decision I made to save my own skin, but only a day into our friendship, I’ve come to realize that it was completely worth helping you. My initial plan was to help you escape and then part ways, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a traveling companion for a while.”

“And I’d like to have someone to help me get my bearings in this world.”

“Then it’s settled- we can stick together for a while.” 

Elphaba smiled as Glinda leaned closer to them, something vaguely like an embrace, a hug. It was comforting, something they hadn’t felt in such a long time…

* * *

“What time is it, anyway?” Glinda asked a while later, still leaning against Elphaba, the clutches of sleep threatening to drag her back into slumber.

“Couldn’t tell you.” Elphaba replied with a yawn.

“If this storm keeps up, we might have to stay here for another day… It’s not a great idea for us to stay in one place too long, but we could use the rest, I suppose.”

“Speaking of rest, I could use a few more hours of sleep, if you don’t mind. Sounds like you’re getting tired as well.”

Elphaba stood up, and for a split-second Glinda almost considered asking them to stay with her, but reconsidered- it was obvious from the way that Elphaba had tensed up when Glinda had embraced them that they weren’t particularly used to physical touch. The last thing she wanted to do was make her new companion uncomfortable.

And so, rather than having the company of another person beside her, Glinda laid down alone. The worst of the storm had passed, so she sat in silence, listening to the gentle rapping of raindrops on the tin roof of the building.

And, just as before, her heart was aching again.

She had never been the type of person to take feelings terribly seriously. Sure, she had had her brief, fleeting loves, but she had never made a habit of settling down anywhere or with anyone for too long. She had slept with pretty people for a drunken night after a heist, she had used her charm to get what she wanted or to stay out of trouble, but she had specifically made a point to not develop any emotional attachment to the people who came into her life.

Normally, it was easy- sharing a stolen night with a barmaid, then moving on with life. Spending a weekend with an innkeeper to avoid being ratted out to the Royal Guard, then, as always, moving on with life. Moving forward… never lingering, never waiting, always moving forward.

So why, then, was her heart still so tied to Fiyero? He was nothing more than a one-night-stand, a quick diversion from her main heist. He was no different than any other stranger she’d slept with, why did she feel such a connection to him?

And Elphaba- Glinda felt so drawn to them in a way that she hadn’t felt before. It wasn’t attraction, not in the same way she was attracted to her fleeting lovers. This felt… different. The scariest part of these new feelings was that they went against all of her better judgement. It wasn’t wise to tie herself down to one person… was it?

Glinda tried to push down all her worries, determined to get a little more rest. She grumbled to herself as another rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Sleep was not going to come easily.

* * *

It was still raining the next time Elphaba woke up, but they knew it had to be morning by now- there was that tinge of grayness in the sky that signaled dawn had arrived somewhere far beyond the sea of clouds.

Glinda was still sound asleep, and for a moment, Elphaba simply laid in their bed, letting their mind drift into blankness. It was nice, to not live in constant fear for the first time in years. They didn’t necessarily feel secure- this was nothing more than a cheap room at an inn, but compared to the cold stone walls of the castle and their brutal family, they definitely felt _safe._

Elphaba was used to silence- they had spent a decent amount of their life in silence, but now it felt… different. The silence they were used to was a tense silence, a sense of impending doom, like something or someone was bound to snap at any given moment. 

This silence was different. It wasn’t completely silent, though it was still quiet. The soothing pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof, the rustling of leaves in the trees outside, the soft, regular breathing of Glinda- who had put her trust in Elphaba so quickly… 

This silence was comforting. 

This silence was peace.

* * *

When Glinda woke again, she was unbelievably groggy, the weight of the past few days bearing heavier on her shoulders than ever before.

Elphaba chuckled at her bedhead, Glinda responded with a playful scowl, stood up, and nearly passed out.

It was only then that Glinda realized it had been nearly a day and a half since she’d had a proper meal. Some food, she figured, would definitely put a spring in her step.

“So, what’s our plan for the day?” Elphaba asked as they headed to the pub downstairs with Glinda in search of a decent breakfast.

“Don’t ask me about my plans until I’ve had a meal.” Glinda grumbled, acutely aware of Elphaba giggling at her.

Before long, they were seated at the pub with plates of not-quite-warm-enough eggs and potatoes. It was better than nothing- Glinda was grateful for any meal she could get at this point- but even after eating she still felt exhausted.

“Alright- planning?” Elphaba asked as they finished their food.

“In case you can’t tell…” Glinda blinked at them, yawning, “I’m still not really awake yet. Get back to me after I have a cup of coffee, maybe two.”

* * *

Glinda had no less than three and a half cups of coffee.

“Alright, Elphaba, time to get to work, let’s go!”

Elphaba was caught off guard when Glinda grabbed them by the wrist and bolted up the stairs at a surprisingly fast pace.

“I take it you’re feeling more awake now,” Elphaba observed.

“Hell yeah I am.” Glinda replied, bouncing a little in place before hurrying over to the desk where her bag was sitting, “Map… map… need to find my map.”

Elphaba simply looked on, amused at the chaotic mess of energy that Glinda had become in such a quick span of time.

“Here it is!!” Glinda cleared the desk of her items in one fluid motion, sending her belongings tumbling to the floor, “Okay, here’s the plan- we’ve been lucky enough to make it this long without being found, but I’d be willing to bet that the King has guards after us by now. The best thing to do would be to get rid of what they need most- the crown jewels. I’m gonna sell them.”

“How exactly are you going to manage to do that? There’s a bounty on your head worth more than what the crown jewels are worth.”

“I know exactly the place- there’s a city near the southern coast called Port of the Moon, a city notoriously known for its expansive black market industry. If there’s any place we can get rid of the crown, it’s there. It’s about a five day’s journey- we’ll leave tomorrow.”

“What should we do to pass the time until then?”

“I mean, I’ve got ridiculous amounts of energy to burn off, we could go for a walk in the woods and do some foraging, anything we don’t find out there we can get from the trading post here. And while we’re at it- you have yet to explain those magical powers of yours to me…”

“I know,” Elphaba replied, “There just… hasn’t been a good time yet. But now that I’ve got time and freedom, I can finally start doing some actual training. This should be fun.”

* * *

After a few hours of wandering and foraging, Glinda could feel her caffeine-induced burst of energy starting to wear off. It was getting to be the perfect time for a quick nap…

“I can hear a stream just ahead- that would be a great place to practice my magic.”

Glinda yawned as Elphaba rushed ahead to a small clearing. She took a seat on a tree stump, contemplating whether or not to take a moment to rest her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about her friend’s powers- she _did_ care and she was _very_ intrigued… but she was also exhausted, and she had come to the conclusion that nearly four cups of coffee that morning was a much better idea in her head than it was in practice…

But, Elphaba was her friend- or traveling partner at the very least, it would be rude not to pay attention.

“Alright. About my powers,” Elphaba said as they tied their dark hair into a quick braid, “Long story short- I was born with them. No one knew why I had such incredible powers. My father tried to force me to suppress them, but I defied his orders out of spite- which was part of the reason I was hidden away for so long. I think he was scared I’d use my powers against him if he didn’t keep me locked up.”

Glinda watched as Elphaba tucked a stray wisp of hair behind their ear.

“I’ve never had this much… space before. Growing up, I only ever used my powers for little things. Lighting lanterns, getting a drink of water without having to get up, carving out a secret passageway through the castle walls… now I have so much space!”

In the day and a half since they’d met- Glinda had only really ever seen Elphaba tired or grouchy or annoyed- to see them so happy was a refreshing change of pace.

“The first element I learned, the one that came most naturally to me, was earth. By age five I was able to move pebbles and stones in the courtyard with ease. Eventually, once I was in isolation, I was able to carve out a tunnel through the castle walls, as you saw. But this.. this is my first time getting to work with earth in its natural state in years. But… this stupid dress… give me a moment, if you will.”

Elphaba grumbled something to themselves as they gathered up the skirt of their dress and tied the fabric in such a way that what was once a flowing skirt now looked more like a pair of pants, and functioned in the same manner as well.

“Alright…” Elphaba sighed as they planted their feet into the ground. In one motion, they summoned a column of stone from right underneath them. Then, they carved a set of stairs and scurried down them back to solid ground. 

Glinda could do nothing but watch on in awe.

“I like working with earth because it’s the most functional, the most stable.” Elphaba said, and with a wave of their hands, the column and stairs sunk back into the ground, leaving no trace of their existence, “But make no mistake, earth can pack a punch too.”

With a mighty stomp of their foot, Elphaba summoned a boulder out of the ground and hurled it in the direction of a nearby tree, splintering it to pieces. “Now we’ve got some firewood,” they said with a confident smile.

“What about the other elements?” Glinda asked, her curiosity sparked by this point.

“Easy.” Elphaba ran towards a tree, manipulating the air currents around them to allow them to run and leap off the side of the tree. In mid air, they threw a set of punches and plumes of fire burst from their fists, setting the tree ablaze. Just as quickly as they had lit the tree on fire, they summoned water from the nearby stream to quench the flames.

Glinda watched on as water droplets sparkled in the sunlight, like a dazzling light show. For a split second- she locked eyes with Elphaba. She had never seen a gaze so full of concentration and focus and intent.

Then, in another amazing display of skill, Elphaba seemed to control all four elements at once- creating a pillar of earth underneath their feet, manipulating a stream of water with one hand and a stream of air with another, and letting loose a mighty roar that was accompanied by a burst of flame. There was a moment, a slight pause, before they let go of their connection to the elements and returned to solid ground.

For a second, Glinda didn’t even know what to say- she had never been simultaneously more amazed and more terrified. “Elphaba… your powers are incredible…”

“Thanks,” Elphaba smiled, a wisp of smoke trailing from their mouth, and it was only then that Glinda noticed their pointed, jagged teeth, “I’ve never had this much freedom to explore the true potential of my powers before, it’s such a thrilling experience.”

“I can imagine,” Glinda replied, “It’s good to know you’ve got these powers- the guards are going to catch up with us eventually, and knowing your combat abilities, I know we’ll be able to hold them off.”

“Of course we’ll be able to hold them off,” Elphaba said, adjusting their braid, “But I need to keep practicing.”

Glinda watched on in amazement and awe as Elphaba continued to experiment with their powers. They were confident, powerful, and in the golden glow of sunset, even _beautiful_.

Before long, the sun had dipped below the horizon. Glinda hadn’t noticed, she was too fixated on the mysteriously powerful Elphaba.

“I’m exhausted,” Elphaba said with a sigh as they adjusted their skirt and let down their hair, “We should get something to eat, then get some rest- we’re gonna need it with all the traveling that’s to come.”

* * *

After a hearty and well-deserved meal, Elphaba and Glinda found themselves in their tiny room above the pub once more. Glinda, who had downed a pint and a half of some watered-down, vaguely beer-like substance, was tipsy, and Elphaba found her to be very entertaining.

“Your powers were so cool, you were just like- pew pew WHOOSH!” Glinda mimicked the motions Elphaba had done earlier, complete with overly dramatic sound effects.

“I’m glad I could impress,” Elphaba replied, finding themselves laughing at Glinda’s impressive energy levels for the second time that day.

“And you might have your magic and everything, but man have _I_ got some amazing combat skills…”

“Really? Do tell.”

“First of all, I’m pretty good in hand to hand combat, I also know my way around a sword. But, to be completely honest- and I’m a little drunk, so I’m _real good_ at being honest- my best weapon is my own charm.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really,” Glinda huffed indignantly, “I’ve flirted my way out of so many situations. Guys, girls, anyone- I’m a people person, I can use my charm on anyone. Not to brag or anything, but just a few weeks ago, I slept with Vinkan royalty.”

“Congratulations.” Elphaba replied, their voice carrying a signature edge of snarkiness that they figured their inebriated companion wouldn’t even pick up on.

“Thanks, thanks, I consider it one of my greatest accomplishments.”

“One question though- if you’re so good at combat, and if you’re so good at flirting your way out of situations, why couldn’t you handle the guards that were chasing you the night you stole the crown jewels? And why didn’t you try to fight- or flirt- with me?”

“I wasn’t gonna try to take on a dozen guards, not while I had the crown jewels. And trying to seduce a dozen men at once? Even _I_ have my limits, please.”

“But your first instinct was to ask me for help- not to fight me or flirt with me. Based on what you’ve told me, that seems so uncharacteristic of you.”

“Oh, I can flirt with you all I want, hot stuff.” Glinda stood up and crossed the room, sitting down next to Elphaba on their bed.

“Hot stuff? Is that supposed to be a nickname?”

“You were literally breathing fire!” Glinda exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Elphaba and pulling them close. Their faces were only inches apart now- Elphaba could feel themselves blushing.

“If you don’t back off,” Elphaba growled, nudging Glinda away “You’ll get an up-close and personal demonstration of that fire breath,” 

“Sorry…” Glinda, even in her tipsy state, took the hint and sat back down on her own bed, “I’ll hold off on nicknames for now. Flirtiness is just part of my personality, and nicknames come along with that, I guess. Nicknames aside, you really are beautiful. When you were out there in your element- literally- today, you were so strong and… and powerful, and _amazing_. There’s a beauty in your powers, Elphaba, and there is beauty in you as well.”

Elphaba blushed as they felt themselves freeze up- they had never really been complimented before, and had no clue how to respond to such a genuine, heartfelt confession.

Their brain had almost formulated the beginnings of a coherent response when they caught up to Glinda, who had already jumped to a different topic. The discussion of genuine emotions would have to wait, it seemed.

Glinda was laying on her bed, examining the crown jewels. “You know, for a kingdom that calls itself the Emerald City- it sure is ironic that a sapphire is the centerpiece of your crown jewels.”

“I know, it is strange, isn’t it?”

“Why a sapphire? You grew up there, I figured you might know.”

“They say that that particular shard of sapphire was found in the ground on the site the castle was built, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, that’s why it’s so important. But, I think there’s more to the story. Have you heard of the legend of the Six Spirits?”

“Who hasn’t heard of the legend- six spirits created the world, their spirits live on in random crystals.”

“There’s more to the story than that, but at least you get the point. Look at the shard of sapphire- how pristine and clear and beautiful it is. If the legend of the six spirits is true, then I believe that this sapphire contains the energy of one of the spirits. This sapphire, I think, is a Soul Crystal.”

“Damn… that could get a lot of money on the black market…”

“Of course you’re only worried about the money!” Elphaba laughed and rolled their eyes, “That is so like you. Now drink some water and get some sleep- we’ve got a long journey ahead of us, the last thing you need is to be fighting a hangover.”

“Fine…” Glinda grumbled, crawling under the covers, “See you in the morning.”

“You too. Sleep well.”

Elphaba put out the lantern, casting the room in darkness. Finally, some solitude…

Although the room was quiet, Elphaba’s mind was anything but. Glinda, especially in her goofy, tipsy state, made something in their heart flutter… they quickly pushed down those thoughts, clearing their mind and falling into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading!! it would mean the world to me if you took the time to leave a review, I love getting feedback!!
> 
> Also, if you follow me on tumblr, you'll notice I've made a URL change! 
> 
> My new URL is @gliyerabaa so go follow me there if you haven't done so already, and please reblog my works! Reblogs>likes!


	6. Port of the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a long journey to Port of the Moon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking.
> 
> "Ray, what the heck?! Didn't you already post this chapter???"
> 
> Yes, I did. I also wrote this chapter during a really rough time for me and wound up doing a lot of projecting through my writing. Which was great for me in terms of processing my own emotions, but it made for a clunky plot.
> 
> I impulsively deleted the first edition of this chapter and wanted to make some edits, ensuring that the product that is here is the best it can be! So this chapter features a few important dialogue and flow edits.
> 
> Huge huge thanks to my friend Sam (tinyace here, wickedlyqueer on tumblr) who helped me take a step back and realize a lot of my tendencies as a writer, all while providing some helpful edits! Thank you for being an awesome beta!
> 
> Now, without further ado, the revised edition of chapter six!

“Glinda, wake up!”

Glinda stirred, forgetting for a moment where she was. It wasn’t morning, and the effects of the alcohol she drank last night hadn’t quite worn off yet.

“Why..?” Glinda grumbled and rolled over, “It’s not morning yet.”

“The castle guards— they’re here, they’re onto us. I heard their horses arrive. We haven’t got much time.”

“Wait– what?” Glinda sat up quickly, too quickly, and her head was spinning. Dizzy, she carefully laid back down. 

“Keep your voice down and pack up your things. I paid the innkeeper an extra five pieces of gold to keep quiet about our location, but I have a feeling a few measly pieces of gold won’t be enough to shut him up. There’s likely a massive bounty on both of us. He’ll rat us out for sure.”

“Hold on, where did you get five gold pieces?” Glinda asked as she practically rolled out of bed.

“I found them.”

“Where?”

“In your bag.”

“Asshole.”

“Call me whatever you want, paying off the innkeeper was the only way to save our skins. You’ll be thanking me later. Let’s get going, there’s a back door we can use.”

* * *

Navigating the jarringly rough terrain of the forest was a difficult enough task in normal conditions, and Elphaba knew this. 

Trying to accomplish the same task in the middle of the night, as quickly and quietly as possible with only a sliver of moonlight as a guide, with a not-quite-sober traveling companion made the task damn near impossible.

“We don’t need to go too much further, do we?”

“We need to do whatever it takes to get away from the guards.”

“I know, I know. But you’ve got your fancy magic powers, can’t you just make a hole in the ground or something so we can hide until morning?” 

“We can’t hide, the longer we sit still, the more danger we’re putting ourselves in!”

“Elphaba, please, just try to be rational here for a moment. What time was it when we left the inn?”

“I’m pretty sure it was about a quarter to one.”

“Exactly. Which means we’ve only gotten a few hours of sleep. And while it is important to put some distance between us and the guards, I figure that will be a much easier task when we’re both well rested.”

“But… but we need to get away from them…” Elphaba said as they felt their mind begin to spin. For a not-sober person, Glinda did make a good point, but what if...

“Elphaba.” Glinda took their hand, and they tensed up instantly, “We  _ will  _ get away from those guards, I’ll make sure of it. For now, our safest bet is to hide. If the guards do somehow find us, we’re both more than capable of fighting them off.”

Elphaba couldn’t bring themself to say anything. They focused their energy into the earth, hollowing out a small alcove in the ground, just big enough for two people.

Still lingeringly clinging to Glinda’s hand, they crawled into their temporary shelter, covering their hideaway with a large slab of stone so they wouldn’t be spotted.

“I can’t see a thing!” Glinda grumbled, trying to adjust herself in the cramped alcove.

“Calm down, give me just a second,-” Elphaba replied as they tried to make themselves comfortable as well. Once situated, they conjured a tiny flame in their hands, illuminating the room in a warm, orange glow.

“Thank you,” Glinda said with a smile, settling into a reclined position across from Elphaba much more smoothly now that she was able to see. 

Finally, in their first moment of solitude since noticing the guards, Elphaba let themself relax, suddenly aware of just how much tension they held in their body. They sighed deeply, and the flame in the palm of their hand shifted to a slightly more mellow, golden color.

“Elphaba?” Glinda said after a long silence.

Elphaba was somehow both half-asleep and incredibly alert. They nearly jumped at the sound of Glinda’s voice. “What is it?”

“You’re scared of the guards, aren’t you?”

“I’m not  _ scared  _ of them,” Elphaba grumbled, their fire shifting to a red-orange.

“Then how  _ do  _ you feel?”

“Like…” Elphaba hesitated, searching for the right words, “Like I’m back at home again. Or whatever I should call that place... ” Elphaba trailed off, not sure if they were ready to open up to Glinda. But they had already started, there was no point in turning back.

“Basically... When guards showed up, my father would always be right behind them. That’s what has been true all my life. But it’s not the guards I’m scared of. They weren’t the ones that abused me, verbally, emotionally. My father, he… He would hit me sometimes too,” Elphaba grew quiet. “I know it’s dumb…”

“Elphaba,” Glinda said, adjusting herself so she was sitting next to Elphaba rather than across from them, “There’s nothing  _ dumb _ about that. It makes sense that you think that way. You have instincts you’ve come to rely on. That’s not something you need to apologize for. You only escaped a few days ago, you’re not going to be able to shake that kind of trauma instantly. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“It’s hard not to. I can get as physically far away from my old life as I want, but there’s no escaping my own mind. I’ll always have these memories with me.”

“And I get that. I’ve had my fair share of bad times in life too. Like I said, it won’t change overnight. I learned that the hard way. Some things might  _ never _ change. It’s going to take time, but you  _ will _ heal from this.”

“Here. This is the first step to healing.” Glinda took their hand, “The guards showed up to the same outpost we were staying at. But the odds that they showed up specifically for us– for me– are slim. It was the middle of the night, by that point they were little more than exhausted travelers looking for a place to stay, just like us, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And one troop of guards in the middle of the woods doesn’t mean your father is following behind them. They don’t know we’re together, remember? He’s the King of Oz, there’s no way he’d personally risk his neck trying to catch a thief.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Elphaba sighed in agreement, “Thank you for talking me through this.” 

“Of course.”

“I still think it was the right choice to leave. As much as I would’ve liked to finish the night’s rest in an actual bed, I wasn’t about to take a chance staying in the same inn as a bunch of guards.”

“You think you wanted to rest well? You’re not the one who’s still buzzed,” Glinda said with a laugh.

“Hey, I told you drinking the night before a five-day’s journey wasn’t a good idea, but did you listen to me? No!”

“Oh shush, I know it was a bad idea, but I’ve gotten far more drunk during far longer journeys and been just fine. Although, I tend to fare better when I can get a full night’s rest beforehand.”

“You know, you could rest some more instead of being a snarky little shit,” Elphaba said with a half-smile.

“I wouldn’t be so snarky if I wasn’t so tired, y’know.”

“You wouldn’t be so tired if you hadn’t gotten drunk last night.”

“Believe me, I know,” Glinda said with a yawn, stretching her arms as best she could in the cramped alcove before leaning against Elphaba’s shoulder, “But what’s life if you don’t stop to have a little fun along the way?”

Elphaba glanced down at Glinda, whose deep blue eyes sparkled like sapphires in the dim glow of the firelight. Glinda was… pretty. In the same sense that the paintings in the gallery of the castle were pretty. Elphaba swore they could stare into Glinda’s eyes forever and never get bored, just like they would gaze upon paintings for hours at a time back home…

Elphaba was startled back to reality by Glinda’s fingers intertwining with their own.

“We’ve got a long journey ahead of us, Elphaba.” Glinda whispered, her voice slow and so surprisingly soothing, “Yes, we’ve got guards to outrun, and yes, we’ve got lots of work to do. But try and have a little fun along the way, won’t you? You’ve got your past, and you’ve got your issues, but I want to help. I want to help you have some fun in life. If you’ll let me, that is.”

Elphaba couldn’t help but smile. No one had ever offered to show them the fun and joy in the world before, “Thank you,” was all they could manage to say. Why in the world did Glinda care about them?

Elphaba held back all the words that were swirling around in their mind. They wanted to thank Glinda for talking them through their anxiety spiral, they wanted to tell Glinda how pretty she was, they wanted to ask why Glinda cared… there were so many thoughts in their mind, swarming like a hive of bees.

But Glinda was nearly asleep, and they figured it would be best for them to get some rest as well. They let the fire in their hand dwindle down to nothing but embers, until the room was completely shrouded in darkness.

* * *

Glinda woke up to a sharp pain in her back. Sleeping on a floor made of rock was, unsurprisingly, a terrible idea. But still, some sleep was better than no sleep, and–Glinda looked down– she was still grasping Elphaba’s hand. Had they been holding hands all night? How dreadfully embarrassing, Glinda thought. She drew her hand away from her companion’s and scooted as far away from them as she could (though that was only an inch or two). 

It wasn’t that she disliked Elphaba, she actually quite enjoyed their company, but to let herself be that vulnerable... It was a strange and unfamiliar concept.

Glinda let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. Her mind was so… frustrating sometimes. How was it that she was able to calculate dozens of possible situations and escape routes for a heist, but not able to think through even the simplest of social interactions? How was she able to casually flirt with people she had no emotional connection to, but still somehow stumble through a basic conversation?

Elphaba… she was so drawn to them, in a way she had never felt before, in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Her intrigue, evidently, got the better of her, for she had fallen asleep holding their hand last night. She vaguely remembered being borderline flirtatious with them as well when she had been tipsy earlier.

She was so good at thinking through the logistics and repercussions of dangerous heists and robberies, she was so good at planning travel routes and hiding spots for weeks in advance. So what was so different about navigating the repercussions of her spontaneous expressions of emotion?

Like last night. She didn’t  _ decide  _ to hold Elphaba’s hand, she didn’t  _ decide  _ to fall asleep leaning on their shoulder, she just…  _ did it _ . She gave no thought to the implications of the gesture, gave no thought to how Elphaba would react, and that was so, so incredibly foolish of her.

Still, Glinda figured that she’d better hold off on acting on whatever strange feelings she had for her traveling companion. At least until she had a better sense of how they would respond.

And maybe, as scary as the prospect was, she should actually have a  _ conversation  _ with them about this. Yes, that would be a good idea, she decided.

“You’ve been awfully quiet this morning,” Elphaba said, and Glinda jumped so suddenly that she nearly hit her head on the wall of their little hideaway.

“You scared the crap out of me,” Glinda said, her heart still racing, “I didn’t even know you were awake. Is… is it morning?”

“I think so,” Elphaba replied, using their magic to move the slab of rock that covered their shelter. Sunbeams filtered through the trees above them, casting hazy morning shadows onto the grass. “Yep, it’s morning.”

“We’d better get going then,” Glinda grabbed her bag and stood up, her joints cracking after being cooped up in a tiny ditch all night, “Hopefully we can make it to the next outpost by sundown.”

After picking a few handfuls of berries and freshening up in a nearby stream, Elphaba and Glinda set off in the woods once more, headed south towards their next destination.

“Anyways, as I was saying earlier,” Elphaba said, picking up a stick to use as a support as they walked, “You’ve been awfully quiet. Something on your mind?”

“Yes,” Glinda answered, immediately regretting her decision, “I mean, kind of. It’s… it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Very well. But this is going to be a terribly silent journey if neither of us have anything to say to each other. What happened to the chatty, goofy girl from last night? She was fun, I liked her.”

“And you don’t like this version of me?”

“Never said that. This is just a side of you I haven’t seen yet. I’ve only ever seen you in heist mode, super caffeinated, or tipsy. Basically, this is the longest you’ve been quiet since we met, and it’s… odd.”

“Funny, ‘cause this is the most talkative you’ve been since we met. Why are you so interested in me anyways?”

“I should ask the same of you, considering you were flirting with me last night.”

Glinda blushed, turning her gaze to the ground, which was now suddenly much more interesting than her green friend, “I was tipsy.”

“Yeah? And after we left the inn, you fell asleep holding my hand.”

“Bear in mind, I was still buzzed even then, too.”

“You know you can’t just use that as your excuse, right?”

“I know…” Glinda sighed, “But you didn’t push me away.” 

Glinda and Elphaba locked eyes for a split-second, just long enough to spark a moment of question, an instant of tension.

“Anyway,” Glinda said as she averted her gaze, “You avoided the question I asked earlier. Why do you care if I’ve suddenly gone quiet? What does it matter to you?”

“I…” Elphaba started, then trailed off, “I’m sorry.”

The rest of the journey was absolutely silent. By sundown, they had reached a small outpost, reserving a small room at a local inn. There was only one bed, Elphaba insisted that Glinda take the bed, saying that the floor was more than comfortable enough for them. After some bickering, Glinda reluctantly agreed, crawling under the covers.

Regret sat like a rock in the pit of Glinda’s stomach as she tried to fall asleep that night. She had been so harsh to Elphaba, acting in defense. She had never experienced the strange type of pull she felt towards Elphaba. She didn’t know how to put it into words, which made it all the more terrifying. 

Glinda barely slept that night.

* * *

Drizzle fell from the sky the next day, the dreary gray of the skies and the squelch of mud underfoot matching Elphaba’s mood perfectly.

_ ‘She hates me. She definitely hates me,’  _ Elphaba couldn’t stop their thoughts from racing,  _ ‘But if she hates you, why was she flirting with you the other day? Why was she holding your hand?’ _

They stole a glance at Glinda, whose eyes were focused on the path ahead.

There was so much they wanted to say, so much they wanted to ask.

They wanted to ask why Glinda was being so defensive, they wanted to ask why she had been so caring before, they wanted to know what changed, what they’d done wrong, why things were different now then they were the day they’d met. They wanted to thank Glinda for helping them through their anxiety attack, they wanted to smack her for being so closed off so suddenly, they wanted to take her hand and never let go…

But they didn’t know how to start that conversation. They opened their mouth to try and put their thoughts into words, but all that came out was, “Kinda shitty weather for hiking, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Glinda replied, “Next outpost isn’t too far out, though. Just keep pushing on.”

_ ‘Just keep pushing on,’ _ Glinda had said to Elphaba the day before as they trudged through the mud, though she now realized it was just as much a reminder to herself as it was to Elphaba.

Her mind was a mess, she always got like this in the middle of long journeys, she always had to keep pushing on when things got rough, and this time was no exception.

It was another dreary day, and the threat of rain loomed in the distance. 

“We need to stop and wait out this storm.” Glinda said, her gaze fixed on the towering thunderclouds in the sky, “Can you make some kind of shelter?”

“Even better,” Elphaba replied, taking a deep breath and manipulating the air around them to create a sort of umbrella, “We can keep going now. We don’t want to waste any time sitting around.”

It was surreal, being enveloped in what was essentially a pocket of smooth, stable air in the midst of a raging storm. Rain battered against the walls of air, creating a strange, misty sensation. 

This moment of calm in the midst of chaos, Elphaba’s concentration in the midst of a storm… They were so determined, working so hard to keep the both of them safe. Their powers and their dedication were both truly impressive. They were– what was the word…?

They were strong. They were amazing. They were admirable.

Now, if only Glinda could find the right words to convey that to them.

* * *

Elphaba was exhausted by the time they reached the outpost later that day. The storm hadn’t subsided, and they had used so much of their energy on a moveable shelter of air, so they could keep moving forward.

Exhausted, they immediately sat down on the floor in front of the small fireplace in the room they rented in the inn.

“Elphaba, are you seriously going to sleep on the floor again?” Glinda asked. Elphaba winced at her almost nagging tone– why in the world did she care?

“Yes, I am. You get the bed, we’ve established this.”

“But you worked so hard to keep us safe in that storm, you deserve a good night’s sleep.”

“Yes I do, and I’ll be getting my good night’s sleep on the floor.”

“You stubborn little–” Glinda grabbed the blanket off the bed and laid down on the floor next to Elphaba, “We both deserve to have the same quality of sleep, and I’m going to ensure that happens.”

Elphaba blushed as Glinda draped the blanket over the both of them. Again, there Glinda went, being sacredly intimate with them after days of silence and confusion. In the low light, her eyes shimmered with a kind of loneliness that Elphaba had only ever seen in their own reflection.

They were tired, but now was the first time in days they actually felt safe enough, felt close enough to talk to Glinda.

“Glinda?” Elphaba asked, their voice barely audible over the sound of rain and wind outside, “Do you hate me?”

“No, I don’t hate you! Elphaba, why would you think that?” Glinda said, clearly taking offense to the notion.

“Maybe ‘cause I’m getting mixed signals from you!” Elphaba snapped. They knew better than to let their feelings take over, but after days of bottling up theirs, they couldn’t help it. “I’ve only known you for what, not even a week? And in that timespan you’ve saved my life, flirted with me, gone absolutely silent for no reason, and now we’re sharing blankets? How am I supposed to know what you think of me?”

“Because I _don’t_ _know_ what I think of you! I have never met anyone like you. You’re a new experience and- and, trying to navigate something like this is _scary_. I get scared of those feelings and I… I just shut down because I don’t know what else to do.”

“What’s so scary about this? I thought I made my intentions perfectly clear. I’m your magical, snarky traveling companion. You saved my life, and I’m along for the ride, I thought that’s what we agreed on.”

“It  _ is  _ what we agreed on. We did not, however, agree on you comforting me in a thunderstorm and we didn’t agree to me getting drunk and… all that stuff.”

“Yeah, and we didn’t agree to you helping calm me down in a panic. I didn’t agree to opening up about my past to you but now here we are, opening up to each other even though we’re practically strangers. Why are we doing this, hm?”

“Why  _ are  _ we doing this?” Glinda repeated, hesitating for a moment, “ _ That’s  _ the scary part. I feel safe with you, I feel so comfortable around you and- and I don’t know why.”

“I… I feel the same way,” Elphaba said, the confession like a weight being lifted off of their shoulders, “I haven’t told you everything about my past. Though to be fair, there’s a  _ lot _ to unpack there. But I never imagined I’d be comfortable enough with anyone to open up about my past so quickly. I’ve found a strange sense of comfort in you, Glinda. You’ve helped me through so much already. Not just escaping, but the other day, too, when you helped me talk through my panic. Thank you for that, by the way.”

“No problem.”

“The real question is, why you? Anyone could have stumbled into my life like this, but why  _ you _ ? Why do I trust you like I do?”

“I was wondering the same thing myself, honestly.” Glinda said with a quiet laugh that Elphaba found to be cute– far cuter than they expected, “I’ve met so many people in my years of traveling and I’ve never quite had the connection with anyone as I’ve had with you. I feel… safe with you in a way I can’t describe. I’ve been trying to hide from those feelings by ignoring them, thinking that would somehow make it better, and I’m sorry for that. I was so caught up in my own worries that I didn’t consider how my actions would affect you.”

“It’s fine, it really is. I’m okay. I’ve been through worse.”

“On the topic of other actions that I didn’t put thought into… I’ve been so, um... so touchy, I really should have asked first, but… what are you okay with?”

“I’ve never liked people touching me,” Elphaba said, watching as Glinda’s face fell, “No one has ever come into contact with me with any intent other than malice, not for many years. Even sweet old Nanny– my handmaiden from back home– she was never terribly kind to me, but she was all I had. She brought me pain, too, lacing up my corset every day, forcing me to fit into a mold not quite meant for me… but that’s a story for another time, forgive me, I’ve said far too much.”

Elphaba took a deep breath, distancing their mind from the days of their youth, focusing on the here and the now. “I’ve never liked people touching me, but you seem to be the exception to that. It’s still strange, being treated with kindness. But at the same time…” Elphaba carefully reached for Glinda’s hand, “It’s nice.”

“I don’t hate you, Elphaba.” Glinda reiterated, giving their hand a gentle squeeze, “It’s weird, and it’s confusing, and it’s frustrating, trying to figure out why I’m so...drawn to you. But I most certainly do not hate you.”

“I don’t hate you too.” Elphaba echoed, “And thank you… for being so open with me, and for letting me be so open with you. You’re definitely not the worst person in the world to be stuck with.”

They looked around the room for any change of subject, but found none. “We should get some sleep,” they settled on. 

“You’re right,” Glinda agreed. “Night.”

“Goodnight.”

They fell asleep together on the creaky wooden floors.

* * *

There was a new, different energy in the air the next morning- Glinda could feel it. But what, she wondered, was the cause of that new spark? 

Was it the fact that this was the final day of traveling, the fact that the end was finally in sight?

Was it the deep and personal conversation they had shared last night, the resolution of so much tension they’d shared since they first met? 

Or was it quite literally a different energy? The morning air was cool and refreshing after the previous night’s storm, maybe the shift in weather was the reason things felt so different.

“This is the last day of traveling, right?” Elphaba asked, as they packed up their belongings. Glinda immediately noticed that their voice didn’t have that metallic, razor-like edge that she had become so used to hearing.

“Yep, we’re almost there. If we keep a good pace, we should be there by sundown.”

“Great,” Elphaba smiled.

Glinda looked up, briefly catching the rare sight of her companion’s smile before they averted their gaze. Glinda, however, kept her sights focused on Elphaba for just a moment longer. In the soft sunbeams of morning, their long, dark hair shimmered with a deep radiance, almost a purple sort of hue. They were beautiful in a way Glinda had never quite experienced before.

The question still remained in Glinda’s mind: what was the cause of the renewed energy she was feeling? Was it the end of the journey, the strengthened bond with Elphaba, or simply the better weather?

Glinda stole another glance at her intriguingly beautiful new friend, and decided that it was a combination of all three.

* * *

The final day of traveling took them out of the forest and into a stretch of the Southern Plains.

Almost there. 

They were almost there, that’s what Glinda had said.

But the endless expanse of plains just kept stretching on and on and on, long after they had left the lush greenery of the woods behind.

The plains were, at first, fascinating. The dirt in this region had a reddish hue, which Elphaba was astounded by. The tall grass that waved in the breeze seemed like a golden sea of light, but as the day grew on, the amount of golden yellow began to be a bit of an eyesore.

The day was mainly quiet, as if the previous night’s conversation had never even happened. Elphaba had to constantly remind themself that Glinda had explicitly stated (twice, as a matter of fact) that she did not hate them.

As the sun grew lower in the sky, Glinda finally spoke. “We’re nearly there. Port of the Moon is just beyond that ridge up ahead. Across the bay is Cove of the Stars, and there’s a ferry line connecting the two cities.”

“These are coastal towns, right?”

“Yep. You’ve never seen the ocean before, have you?”

“Only in pictures.”

“Then you’re in for quite the experience, we should be at the top of the ridge by sunset.”

Elphaba was nearly trembling with anticipation: these days of emotional and physical exhaustion would finally be worth it.

As they neared the top of the ridge, Glinda stopped and turned towards Elphaba. “Before we get to where we’re going, I want to apologize. Long stretches of travelling like this really take a toll on the brain, and I haven’t had a travelling partner in years. I’ve never had to deal with another person for this long before. It’s… different, that’s for sure.”

“I understand. I suppose it’s even more exhausting, dealing with someone who has never set foot beyond the Emerald City.”

“To be blunt, yes, your lack of experience makes it all the more difficult. However,” Glinda took Elphaba’s hand, “I have enjoyed traveling alongside you. You’re unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and I’m so excited to be taking this journey with you, however long it may last, wherever it may lead us.”

“Thank you. I should apologize too. I have no clue what I’m doing in any aspect of this– socially, navigationally, physically, mentally– I’m a _ huge _ mess right now. Thank you for bearing with me.”

“Of course,” Glinda replied with a small smile, “Now, are you ready? Your first real city, your first visit to the ocean, your first taste of true freedom since escaping? We’re only a few steps away from one of the best views in all of Oz.”

“I’m ready,” Elphaba replied with a deep breath. This was the moment their life would be changed forever. They let go of Glinda’s hand and set forth, taking the last few steps to the top of the hill.

They reached the top of the ridge to see a spectacular sight. The ridge they were on had a sheer dropoff, it was a cliff overlooking the beautiful coastal area below. There were two distinct towns below. The nearer of the two made of hundreds of small buildings, shops and homes and the like, while the one further in the distance looked more regal; shimmering spires of taller buildings sparkling in the glow of sunset.

And beyond the cities was the largest expanse of water Elphaba had ever seen. It looked like it quite literally stretched on forever. The water sparkled, taking on an orange-ish hue in the sunlight, and the clouds of pink and purple dotting the sky made the scene all the more beautiful.

Elphaba felt tears pricking at the back of their eyes, they’d never imagined they’d be able to set foot outside the walls of the castle, but now here they were, in an entirely different city, so far away from their terrible father, so close to this intriguing thief who was ever so close to stealing their heart... 

“Welcome to Port of the Moon.”

Glinda took their hand once more. It was a strange feeling, but with Glinda by their side, watching the sun sink into the ocean, Elphaba felt like they finally had a place in life where they… belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment? feedback is literally what keeps me going at this point honestly


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